All Roads Lead to You
by eostellary
Summary: We have witnessed their beginning, and we know where they eventually ended up. But what happened in between? What happened before Recompense?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Here it is! The prologue for Recompense! I had a blast writing this chapter because I dipped and dug into their platonic relationship. It isn't something I have ever done before so I hope I still captured their characters. I'll be taking this space, again, to thank you all for your support. You make writing worth it! I read every one of your reviews and they really make my day. Plus, I have made a list of the requests I received in _Clouds_. I am not entirely sure when my next update will be as it will be busy for the next 12 days. I'll try to squeeze some writing as best as I can, though! We all know I can't live without it. lol. Per usual, please let me know what you think!

* * *

The smell of blood, sweat, and unearthed ground finally hit her nose. When everything had settled down, the adrenaline rush inside her was not quite over yet until the last of the branches of the damned chakra tree unwrapped itself around its former prey. When said tree collapsed in on itself, so did the weight of everything that had happened in the last 48 hours or so.

It was sudden when every gash, every scrape, every pierced wound, every dislocated bone in her arm made themselves known to her. While at the age of 20, she was already hardened by countless battles and seemingly endless training bouts with her Sensei and her brothers. Yet, Temari still winced at the pain that her body was only starting to recognise.

For a moment, everything around her was silent. No one moved. It seemed that no one from the Allied Forces believed that everything was over. It seemed that all of them were struggling to make sense of what had just happened. Was the world really on the verge of falling enslaved by one power-hungry madman? Did they really help put a stop to the forthcoming slavery?

As if a cloth being gingerly unfolded, whispers turned into mumbles. Mumbles escalated to soft exchange of words. The sound grew from a low hum to an extremely deafening cheer as the crowd claimed victory over their adversary. The shrill merriment was both a sweet and ear-splitting sound. While she didn't join them in their ecstatic merriment, Temari allowed herself to relish in the relief of it all.

The war had been won.

She repeated the words in her mind as she stuck her closed Tessen to the ground to lean on it. _The war had been won._ _We get to live another day._

Immediately, she scanned her perimeter for a familiar face to rejoice with. Her teal eyes landed on her brothers and before she even put one foot in front of the other, Gaara and Kankuro rushed over to where she was and engulfed her in an embrace.

The eldest Sand sibling closed her eyes tightly and welcomed the warmth of her younger brothers. The relief that surged in her doubled as she felt them breathing and very much alive. The three of them had been through so much and they could now add 'surviving a war' to their long list of feats.

There was a pinch on her chest as their embrace lengthened. The three of them had been through so much, Gaara the most at his young age. It was as if every cruelty that the world could throw at them, the world did. Yet, the three of them were standing on the battlefield, together, and looking forward to what the dawn brings.

She couldn't stop the few tears that fell from her eyes even if she wanted to.

As quick as the sun rose, triage tents and treatment tents were put up by the command of Tsunade-hime. The less-injured shinobi practically swam in Katsuyu's dissolved form to heal up and absorb the much-needed chakra in order to form squads for body retrievals. The war may have ended but the most work lay before them and it started with going back to the battlefields to see if there were comrades still alive. If there weren't, bodies still warranted to be cleaned up for proper burial ceremonies per village.

Ino was the one who dressed her wounds. Chakra levels were critical at the moment and were reserved for dire cases so her gashes and scrapes would have to do with bandages, her dislocated arm with a cast. Temari mumbled a sincere thanks to her fellow blonde and a weary smile.

"He was nearly done for, you know," the medic-nin said, needing not to mention his name.

For a few seconds, a tightness gripped her throat and she could not speak. The Yamanaka noticed and she laid a hand delicately on the Suna princess' back.

"But he managed to pull through," Ino assured her with a smile as weary as hers was. "Naruto's chakra cloak saved him."

"Where is he now?" she asked, though she was surprised at the urgency of her voice. Then again, there was nothing wrong with being concerned for a close, great friend, right?

Ino's smile grew a fraction. "In Recovery Tent 4. He's knocked out. We had to. He refused treatment and said he wanted to go to the H-HQ and you know…"

The falter in the Konoha kunoichi's voice was not lost on her. This time, it was Temari who laid a hand on Ino's shoulder. "He will be remembered as a great and intelligent man whose efforts are irreplaceable, Ino. But I know you will remember him as the loving father you are blessed to have. If you need anyone to commiserate with, I'm up for the job."

It surprised the Yamanaka greatly that Temari was quick to offer a shoulder for her grief. True, they seemed to be at odds in the beginning but with Shikamaru growing attached to the Suna native everytime she was in Konoha, Ino had grown to appreciate Temari's company as well. The great war that they had to go through most likely sped up the tightening of their bond but it wasn't unwelcome.

Temari choke down a gasp when Ino scrunched up her face, thinking that she may have said too much in light of the elder Yamanaka's passing. Yet, she was more surprised when Ino practically laid her head on her uninjured shoulder as she struggled to contain the tremors that came with her crying. However, Temari wasn't entirely uncomfortable so she stayed with the medic in silence until she gets a hold of her emotions.

"Thank you, Temari-san," Ino said softly, wiping her tears away from her face. "I'll be sure to take you up on that offer the next time you're in Konoha."

"It's Temari. We're…We've…I think it's safe to say that my brothers and I have dipped more than just our toes in Konoha's infamous 12 for us to stay formal with each other," Temari smirked.

Ino chuckled and shook her head. "Call me Ino, then."

She nodded as she watched the medic-nin go to tend to other injured shinobi. Temari had a wistful expression on her face as she looked up to the sky. _Kaa-san, I think I just made another friend._

* * *

It was night when he came to. Although his eyes didn't open, he could hear the soft bustles of his environment and a faint voice telling another person that it was her turn to take watch. The hushed sound of the crickets in the forest fortified his assumption. Shikamaru didn't exactly know how long he had been sleeping but he knew that he certainly didn't want to open his eyes just yet.

The war had been won, but the victory was not one without sacrifices.

The shinobi gritted his teeth against each other as memories of the most tragic kind seeped into his mind once more. Shikamaru swallowed his grief down, mentally kicking himself. He knew that if his father were alive, Shikaku would scold him for indulging in something as selfish as crying. When he had reined his emotions in, his mind made another turn towards grief as it conjured up a question.

 _How was he going to tell his mother?_

The prospect made his mind swirl and the shinobi had to clutch the blanket laid on him in an attempt to calm himself. His fatigue was slowly ebbing away and quickly being replaced by a hollow ache that was becoming potent in his chest. Shikamaru couldn't breathe. Much as he tried, his throat was blocked by an unknown force. The warm air of the recovery tent was turning frigid by the second.

Even as he tried to push the anguish away, it came back in doubles and it was slowly waking every muscle that laid dormant during his sleep. His cold skin was now warm with the adrenaline and Shikamaru wanted to run…just run away from everything and spend a few hours of solitude in the woods.

So, he sat up haphazardly…but not without waking the blonde Suna jounin that was napping on the chair beside his bed.

"What—?" Temari was going to ask what was wrong but swallowed the rest of her question when she saw the look on her friend's face. He looked like a devastated forest, where the tiny semblances of life were struggling to survive even with death surrounding them.

She remained silent and let him do as he pleased, watching as he threw the covers off him and went out into the evening. Temari followed him silently. It would be futile to ask him to stay and recover when every cell in his body would revolt against the idea. The jounin strapped her Tessen on her back and watched Shikamaru's form as it went into the shrubs. His ponytail was easily lost in the dark of the night, so she focused on the glint of his earrings and the sound of his footfalls.

The Suna ambassadress was nervous for a moment when she lost his track but calmed down when she sensed his presence behind her.

"I'd really appreciate it if you left me alone for now," Shikamaru said, his voice morose but not harsh or rude.

Temari turned to face him and shook her head. "I followed just so you won't do something stupid. I promised Ino I would look after you when you awoke."

Shikamaru shrugged. The movement was sluggish. His shoulders were still heavy but they were at least rid of the dull pain. "I promise not to do anything stupid, Temari. Not if I have to face your wrath if I broke my promise."

The blonde pretended to consider his words but she shook her head once more. "Well, I made a promise to Ino. If you're just going to sit here and think or whatever it is that you plan to do, then do it. I won't bother you. I just need to keep an eye on you."

"Tch. You're so troublesome."

"It kept me alive so far," Temari shrugged, sitting on the ground and resting against a tree trunk. The jounin stuck the bottom of her Tessen and opened the giant fan.

"What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked, cocking his head to the side.

The kunoichi shrugged even if he can't see her. "I am giving you privacy for what it is that you needed to do out here."

Her words gave him a pause and Shikamaru felt his chest pinch, which annoyed him because he didn't know what it meant. Sighing, he also sat on the ground, in the middle of the patch of land they were currently in. "Oyaji will kill me from the grave if he saw me moping about him."

Temari pursed her lips as she heard what he had said. She certainly didn't expect he'd just open the topic so casually. After all, he had told her of his behaviour when Asuma had died. Honestly, it was the behaviour she was prepared for. Something in her mind told her that the lazy genius had actually grown up. The thought alone made her stomach flip without reason, but she took a deep breath to calm herself. "No; I don't think he would."

"You remember that time?" he asked vaguely, stretching his legs and staring up at the starry evening sky. "You saw how he scolded me back then for being a coward and for being selfish. How's that different from now?"

Her mind was brought back to that time in Konoha hospital when she waited with him for news about his friend's conditions. It was the first time she empathised with Shikamaru; and it was probably the time when the seed of their friendship was planted. After all, seeing him at his most vulnerable made her realise the depth of his personality.

"It's different because there's no mission. Or at least the mission is over," Temari started carefully. "It's not the same because you aren't taking the easiest way out, unlike that time. It's not the same because you are thinking of someone other than yourself with regard to this situation."

Once more, Temari's words halted his thought process. "H-How do you know?"

"Because you have that look on your face," she explained. "That look you have whenever you are thinking of a grand strategy to overcome something. If you were thinking about yourself, you would be on your knees punching the ground or something."

A long sigh escaped Shikamaru's lips and he ran a hand gingerly down his face. Temari was right, like always. For a moment, it scared him how much she knew him, but then he rationalised that he knew her just as much. Maybe too much. Maybe they knew each other _too_ much.

"I just don't know how to break it to Kaa-san," Shikamaru finally breathed after lingering in the silence.

"You don't know or you're just hesitant to do it?" Temari probed.

"Mattaku, you troublesome woman," he grumbled. "Must you always be so direct to the point?"

Her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed in front of her. "And what good will beating around the bush do, crybaby?"

"No one wants to hear their husband won't be returning from war, Temari," Shikamaru said, ceasing their banter. "My mother will—"

"Your mother will take it without flinching, Shikamaru," Temari pointed out. "She may allow herself a moment's weakness but nothing more. I believe in Yoshino-san's strength. You should, too."

The jounin slightly backpedalled on her words and she let out a sigh, hugging her knees and laying her forehead on them. "I've only met her a few times but I can feel what she's capable of. She's a strong woman."

"Yeah." _Like you_ went unsaid _._ Shikamaru thought about the words in his head that he remembered the first time he realized Temari was scarily strong. It certainly didn't change; just like how their friendship over the years did not. If anything, they have grown close to the point that he can admit that they are close friends.

The Nara let himself drown in the tranquillity of the night once more. His mind automatically replayed the last events of his father's life. Shikaku was dedicated to help pave the way for a new, peaceful world. He'd be damned if he were just going to muck that up, worrying about how his mother would take his father's demise.

And Temari was correct. His mother would take it. She _was_ strong. She was a force to be reckoned with. Nara Yoshino grins and bears it all because she knows that there is no other direction but forward. Somehow, he feels a bit unworthy to be a son of hers. His mother was always steadfast and unrelenting, yet he buckles down when the trials get more difficult. Maybe he needs to learn from his mother more.

After a while, Shikamaru sat up and stretched his arms. He smiled at the implanted Tessen for a moment before let out a small sigh. "About what you said earlier…"

"Which one?"

"The one you said about me having a look on my face," Shikamaru smirked. "You certainly stare too much at me to know such small details, right?"

Quickly, the Tessen was retrieved, folded, and clasped to her back. Temari stood fluidly and gracefully before she began to walk away from him due to his teasing. "Eat dirt, Nara."

Shikamaru chuckled briefly before he got up and jogged to catch up to her. The shinobi took her wrist and squeezed firmly. "Thank you."

"Whatever for?" she asked, not bothering to turn towards him.

He scratched his head a bit and shrugged. "If you didn't come after me, I would not know what I would have done. So, thank you."

Temari took the effort to appear nonchalant despite the fact that her wrist was beginning to grow warm where his skin was touching her. It irked her so, that she reacted such way to him because she couldn't even understand why. "It is what close friends do for each other."

For the first time in what seemed like a long time, a lopsided grin coloured Shikamaru's face. His eyes softened at the kunoichi before him and he let out a short chortle. "We have grown quite close, haven't we?"

* * *

It was all a blur. The next few days were a blur. With all the bodies of the dead accounted for in both shinobi and samurai, the Kages and their advisors devised plans on transporting the fallen comrades. After all, each village wanted to arrange a proper burial for those who have sacrificed themselves for the sake of peace.

Five days after the war, the Shinobi Forces made their ways home but not without scheduling an Alliance meeting in the next few months. All the villages were in agreement that they need to recuperate for at least a bit before mending their ties once more.

The Suna no Sankyodai were adamant about spending a week in Konoha before continuing forth to Sunagakure. They had wanted to pay respects to their friends, the three have reasoned. Baki allowed them to do so and promised that a mass funeral should be ready by the time the siblings arrive back in the village.

After all, they would be passing the Country of Fire before going into their country. It would be disrespectful if they went on without honouring the lives of their allies. In turn, Tsunade promised to travel with them to Suna to attend the mass funeral the Wind village would be having.

Much as she wanted to rest in the inn and regain some more of her wasted energy, Temari got up from her bed and donned on a black outfit. She decided not to bring her Tessen, but she tucked a smaller fan on her hip just so she would be on the safe side.

The blonde walked through the familiar route and found herself in front of two tall, wide wooden gates. She raised a balled fist to knock and a young clan member opened the small hole. "Yes? I would have to apologise if you are here to visit somebody but the estate is only for—"

"It's all right, Tetsuko," a voice from her right assured. Temari turned her head to see Ino suddenly beside her. "She's a family friend. Temari is Shikamaru's—"

"Ah! Of course, of course!" The young Nara flustered, opening the gate hurriedly. "I'm sorry Temari-dono. I should have recognised you from the start. I apologise, too, Ino-san. Please do come in. You are very early, though."

Ino waved her hand. "We want to help out Yoshino-obachan and Shikamaru prepare for the guests. Right, Temari?"

The blonde nodded once but the longer-haired blonde was already dragging her towards the direction of Shikamaru's childhood home. The jounin drank herself in the sight of the Nara estate. It was more somber than she had remembered. It had only been a month since she was last there but the impact of the few days of war was remarkable.

"Temari-san, Ino," Nara Yoshino greeted as soon as she spotted the two blondes on her front yard. "You're a bit early. And I didn't expect to see you here, Temari-san. How kind of you to be here. I am sure Shikamaru will appreciate your presence."

"Please, Yoshino-san. It's Temari," she insisted gently. "I hope you have been as well as you could be."

Yoshino nodded, but spared her a sad smile. "I'll get there," the female Nara assured the two younger women. "But I would appreciate it if you two could coax my son from his room. We have guests arriving in an hour or so, after all. He hasn't eaten."

Ino frowned at the news and sighed. "I think Temari will do a better job at that alone, Obasan. I can, however, lend you a hand with the rest of the preparations."

After setting her sandals to the side, Temari walked into the Nara home and went upstairs. She walked the path mindlessly before she stopped in front of the familiar door. Gently, she knocked on the wood and listened for any sign of movement. "Shikamaru?"

The occupant of the room stilled on his bed and then forced himself to rise. Shikamaru lethargically opened his door and wordlessly let her come inside. Silently, he offered her a chair to sit down on before he plopped back down on the bed. "Do it."

"What?" she asked, crossing her legs.

"Scold me."

Her brows crinkled, teal eyes full of confusion. "Why?"

"Because I know I am being pathetic again," he reasoned, throwing a pillow over his face.

The ambassadress looked out of his rooms window, spotting some deer frolicking in the exclusive Nara forest. Temari let out a sigh and focused her gaze towards the lazy genius sunk down on his bed. "I'm not going to scold you for having emotions, Shikamaru."

"Tch. I'd rather not have them, honestly," he muttered bitterly.

His words disappointed her though she was unsure why. However, she pushed her annoyance to the back of her mind and took in a breath. "There is nothing wrong with feeling devastated, Shikamaru, especially since it feels more real now. I will, however, gladly tell you that you are being a little selfish for worrying your mother.

"She is downstairs singlehandedly arranging your house for your father's burial. If I didn't arrive here with Ino, she'll probably be working herself to the bone to cater to the guests that would arrive later. While you, the man of the house and the next clan head, are moping in here."

A sensation akin to a stab went right through his chest at the situation that her words described. He was taking the easy way out again and it was now his mother who was suffering the collateral damage. Under the sky a few days ago, he realized with the help of Temari that he needed to learn more about strength from his mother. He thinks now that he hasn't started doing so.

Even if reluctantly, he sat up from his bed and ran a hand down his face. His other hand joined and he just stayed that way for a few moments, letting a few tears fall from his eyes. Shikamaru appreciated the fact that Temari let him be for the moment. After a few minutes, the Nara gathered himself once more and faced her.

"Thank you," he said softly. "Again."

"You're welcome," he heard her reply, voice just as soft. There was nothing but concern in her teal eyes, and Shikamaru couldn't bear to look at them. He didn't want to seem so weak in front of her.

Reining his emotions in, the strategist sighed in exasperation. "Damn it. Why do I always cry in front of you? Mendokusai na."

A smile gently tugged at her lips. "I am afraid I don't have an answer to that. Anyways, let's just go down. I brought some mackerel and kelp, if you're not up to eating ordinary breakfast food."

Shikamaru observed her in silence as she stood from the chair and walked out of his room. He wonders if he were that great of a person to have a friend in Temari, to have someone who was willing to pick him up if need be or scold him should he warrant some telling off.

A small smile graced his face and he started to consider himself such a lucky fellow. He may have gone through a lot of devastations in his life but one thing was for sure: she was the wind who urged his cloud of a being to move forward no matter the circumstance.

* * *

The Nara private ceremony was the last to be held before Konoha's mass burial. Temari stood beside her brothers in Konoha's cemetery. During the ritual, she couldn't help but spare glances towards Shikamaru's direction to make sure he was okay.

Every time she looked, she would be greeted by an unchanging view. Shikamaru stood tall and resilient just as his mother did beside him. If it weren't inappropriate, she would have smiled as she felt a surge of pride well up in her. The lazy genius boy that she had fought in the Chuunin exams was now becoming the man he was geared up to be.

Temari couldn't be prouder to be called a friend of his.

When the ceremony was over, the crowd have started to scatter, leaving only the close family members and friends of those who have passed on. Temari was surprised to see Nara Yoshino walking towards her direction but she bowed slightly in respect to Shikamaru's mother's presence.

"Temari," the older woman started. "I have to thank you for gracing us with your presence yesterday. Shikamaru would have probably rotted in his room if it weren't for you."

"Ah, you overestimate me, Yoshino-san," she said sheepishly. "I merely talked to him."

"And you underestimate the impact you have on him," the dark-haired woman pointed out gently. "Anyways, that's not why I am here. If your time still permits, tomorrow at 11am is the ceremony for Shikamaru's induction as the clan head. It's nothing special, but since you are one of his closest friends, I figured you should attend. My son wouldn't have come this far without help of friends such as yourself."

The blonde jounin smiled softly and nodded. "Thank you for the invitation, Yoshino-san. I will be there."

"Please, call me Yoshino."

Temari nodded once more. "I will see you tomorrow, Yoshino. Thank you, again, for the invitation."

Gaara and Kankuro found her shortly after her conversation with Yoshino. The puppet master raised a brow and crossed his arms as they started to walk back to their inn. "Wasn't that Shikamaru's mother? What did she want?"

She shrugged simply. "Nothing in particular. She just wanted me to attend the ceremony for Shikamaru's induction as clan head tomorrow."

The Kazekage looked up at his sister with a curious look. "Isn't that a clan-exclusive ceremony, Aneue? It's bizarre that she would invite you."

Her brows crinkled but Gaara's statement didn't really faze her. "I don't know. Maybe it's different here in Konoha. I mean she did talk with other non-Nara clan people after she talked to me so maybe it's not as exclusive as we are used to. Anyways, I'll head along. I need to wash my formal wear for tomorrow. Have dinner if you guys are hungry; no need to wait for me."

Gaara and Kankuro looked at their elder sibling as she sped towards their inn before they looked at each other. A beat of silence passed and Kankuro opened his mouth. "It's actually a clan-exclusive ceremony regardless of the country, right?"

"Yes," Gaara hummed with a small smirk. "Yes, it is."

Kankuro raised a brow at the Kazekage and threw him a suspicious look. "What are you thinking about, Gaara?"

The Kazekage's smirk grew before he shrugged. "Nothing in particular, Aniue."

True enough, the ceremony in the Nara clan's meeting hall was simple but something about it seemed _off_ to Temari that morning. For starters, she was the only blonde in a sea of black-headed Nara clansmen. Not that she was expecting a multitude of hair colours but a familiar face would have been nice.

If Yoshino wanted Shikamaru's friends to have over at his induction ceremony, shouldn't Ino and Chouji be there? The question was quickly answered when she heard a mother speaking to her young son that the Nara, the Yamanaka, and the Akimichi all synchronise their induction ceremonies.

 _All right, makes sense_. The jounin thought. However, she knew for a _fact_ that they weren't Shikamaru's only friends. Heck, she expected Naruto to be here. The orange shinobi might not be a part of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio but he was great friends with Shikamaru. Naruto should have, at least, been here.

"But mama, why is Temari-san here?" the voice asked, almost silently. If she weren't a shinobi trained for various missions, she was sure to have missed that. Temari strained her hearing just to listen to the mother's response.

"Normally, only clan members are allowed to attend. Unless, of course—"

The answer was cut short when a Nara elder called for the ceremony to begin. She wanted to grumble in annoyance but she collected herself and remained in poise during the whole of the ceremony.

The last bit involved a handshake with the new clan head. Yoshino was quick to usher her to the end of the line, placing herself in front of Temari. Shikamaru's mother gave no explanation, but she didn't wish to disrespect her actions for questioning it. When it was her turn, she felt the eyes of everyone present in the hall and her composure struggled to rattle but she managed to pull through.

When the elder called for the ceremony to finish, she was about to make her escape but the newly inducted clan head caught her wrist and led her outside away from the hall. He stopped at a bench just by the gates of the infamous Nara forest. "I didn't expect you'd be here."

"Well, your mother invited me and it seemed disrespectful to turn down her request so I just went with it," she shrugged.

Shikamaru sat beside her. "Weren't you supposed to leave for Suna today?"

"Gaara and Kankuro didn't mind pushing it to tomorrow. Baki had sent a missive saying that we should rest up as much as we can since we will have a lot on our plate once we arrive home," Temari said.

The Nara clan head raised a brow at that. Normally, his brothers can't wait to go home at the soonest chance they get. Willingly pushing a travel date back for one more day was unheard of but he didn't bring it up. "Sorry if my mother was overbearing."

Temari shook her head, crossing her legs. "It's fine. She's lovely. I just didn't expect I'd be invited since this is a clan-exclusive thing. I thought it wasn't, when Yoshino invited me but turns out it was. Could you at least explain that?"

Shikamaru scratched the side of his head and shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know."

The blonde jounin threw him a disbelieving look. "You don't know? How come you don't know?"

The lazy genius sat against the picnic table, elbows resting on its edges. "Eh, haven't ever considered knowing the ins and outs of the clan rules and regulations. I just know the basics of it, the basics of deer care, and the Hiden. Nothing more, nothing less."

Her expression of disbelief turned into a scowl. "How can you not know, you idiot genius?! Even if your father didn't pass on so soon, you should have taken it upon yourself to educate yourself with the matters of your clan! Especially since you were the heir!"

Frowning deeply, Shikamaru sighed. "Mendokusai na. I'll get around to doing it…eventually."

Temari scoffed. "So, you're all right with your clan declining, then? You have a lot of people depending on you to lead them, especially since your clan plays a crucial role in Konoha's well-being. You can't keep on complaining that things are troublesome, Shikamaru. Well, maybe you can but you need to do them anyway."

"Hai, hai. Wakata, wakata," he replied lazily, sitting up. "Never thought you'd care about my clan this much, though."

Shrugging, she looked out to the thick greens of the forest, admiring them silently. "It's not that I don't. I just don't want you to disappoint your mother. Or the memory of your father."

The length of the silence stretched and Temari grew uncomfortable with it, thinking that she might have overstepped her boundaries. Tension grew in her and she scrambled quickly for a way to appease the mood but Shikamaru beat her to speaking.

"I don't know why," he started. "But whatever the situation, you always know what to say. I guess…I'm thankful that you, er, keep on dragging me forward, Temari."

The tension in her insides didn't dissipate. If anything, it grew from his words, which she found utterly ridiculous. He was simply a friend who was showing gratitude… _right_? Clearing her mind, she pursed her lips.

"Well, if I don't, who would?" she asked coolly, brushing her fringe away from her forehead to avoid looking tensed.

Her companion beside her clicked his tongue. "Mattaku, you make it sound like I am a loner, you troublesome woman."

She flashed him a wide grin before Temari responded to Yoshino's call to lunch, leaving Shikamaru's eyes to linger on her once more, unbeknownst to her.

* * *

"If I hear one more exaggerated yawn from you, Kankuro, I swear you won't like my method of shutting you up," Temari grumbled, slipping on her sandals as they got ready for their trip back to Suna with Tsunade and Shizune in tow.

The Suna no Sankyodai walked towards the gate and even if she weren't expecting it, she wasn't surprised to see Shikamaru waiting for them outside their inn. Temari missed her brothers sharing a knowing look once more.

Gaara nodded at Shikamaru. "Congratulations on your induction, Shikamaru. Your clan is blessed to have you."

"Yeah, they only got a super genius to lead them, jan," Kankuro smirked, raising his fist to encourage a bump with the new clan head, which Shikamaru returned.

He joined the siblings in their walk. Gaara and Kankuro went ahead, while she and Shikamaru walked a few steps behind. The travelling party arrived almost at the same time Tsunade and Shizune did. They obeyed proper protocol for leaving the village, signing their names on the log that were managed by Izumo and Kotetsu.

After a few minutes, Tsunade and Gaara nodded to commence their walk. Temari stayed behind for a while and assured them she'll catch up in no time.

The blonde turned to her friend and smiled softly. "With your war efforts, I think it'll be a no-brainer that you'll be promoted to jounin soon."

"Eh, I won't be holding my breath. Rank promotion means greater responsibility and—" Shikamaru stopped himself from finishing his statement when he caught the irritated look on her face. "I'm just joking, you troublesome woman. Jeez."

Teal eyes rolled skyward before the blonde shook her head. "Anyways, I'll see you soon. When things have settled, I'm sure I'll be back in no time to _trouble_ you some more. Best get all your complaining out because I don't want to hear any of such when I'm here. Got that?"

"Yes, Temari-himesama," Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes.

"Tch, baka yaro," she grumbled before the blonde straightened up. "Well, I'll be going."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll try not to slack off too much."

Temari flashed him a warm, wide grin before she turned on her heel.

 _Has that smile always been that beautiful?_

Shikamaru halted to a pause at the thought and he swallowed. How could he think of such thoughts about Temari? She was nothing but a friend…well, maybe she was a close friend who likes to pick on him and set his arse on fire when he slacked.

Maybe his friendship with her wasn't the same as the one he had with Ino or Chouji. The two might not ever understand the way his mind worked like Temari did, and they probably won't be as frank and unforgiving as Temari was with him. Maybe they could but it takes iron guts like Temari's to do it on a constant basis.

Whatever it was that made him think that thought about her smile, the answer was clear.

 _Yes, it has always been that beautiful._

* * *

Mattaku-jeez  
himesama-Princess; Your highness  
Wakata-I understand  
Mendokusai na-how troublesome  
Aneue-older sister  
Aniue-older brother  
Oyaji-Old man  
Suna no Sankyodai-Three Sand Siblings  
Kaa-san-Mother  
Hiden-Techniques exclusive to a clan  
jan-Kankuro's verbal tic (like dattebayo, etc)

Obasan-Aunt


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: First of all, Merry Christmas! Here is my Christmas gift to y'all whether you celebrate it or not. Lol. Truth be told, I'm a little hot and cold about this chapter. It was a challenge for me to write mainly because of the elements from Shikamaru Hiden that I tried so hard to incorporate. Actually, I feel like I am all over the place with this piece so I hope you can forgive me if you guys don't find this cohesive at all. Also, important thing is that I based this chapter heavily on the light novel and NOT on the anime episodes. It's due, in part, to the anime's poor representation of Temari's character. She had more substance in the light novel (which I suggest you check out if you have not!). Anyways, please let me know what you think. Thank you for your continued support! I started writing ShikaTema for my own satisfaction, but it makes me so glad that people appreciate the work I put out. You guys make me fall in love with writing over and over again. Happy holidays! xxx

PS If there's anything I like from this chapter, it's the sand bros ganging up on sand sis. Lol

* * *

Time mattered little to someone such as herself. Since Temari was pretty much a goal-oriented person, she had never felt the pressure of time weighing down upon her. The Suna ninja neither worked quickly nor slowly. She worked smartly.

She may not be as intelligent as her Konoha friend, but she does like to plan and strategise things, as well. It was a habit that she has long forged, practically instilled into her whole being. Before undertaking anything, no matter how simple or grand a task, she puts herself outside of it to analyse things critically then attacks.

For a Sunagakure ninja with descent akin to royalty, she was trained to be quick on her mind and body. There were numerous detractors and outright rebels who had wished to overthrow the power of their bloodline ever since she could remember. Assassination attempts on their family have been a frequent occurrence growing up that not much fazes her anymore.

The situation she was in at the moment definitely pulled the rug from under her feet.

As Temari sped through the thick greens that surrounded the hidden ninja village in the Fire county, her mind replayed the conversation she had with her youngest brother on top of the Kazekage hill. It brought a choking feeling to her throat and a tight grip on her chest. It took every cell in her body to push the overwhelming sensations away.

The sheer effort of it brought liquid to pool at the corner of her eyes, but she didn't wipe them away. It was futile to do so, when the tears don't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Besides, the gusts of wind that were rushing towards her were doing a good job drying them anyway.

At the back of her mind, she thought once more about the situation. Just who was _he_ to render her into such a state of vulnerability? _He_ might have been her closest friend but that alone doesn't give _him_ the right to do such things to her, to induce such tormenting emotions. A snide voice identical to her own spoke in her mind. _You gave him that right, princess._

The gates of Konohagakure couldn't have come to her view soon enough. She threw the small parchment that contained 'Emergency' to one of the guards, so that she would be allowed to breach protocol. The jounin masterfully traversed Konoha's rooftops and let herself inside the Hokage tower, racing through people.

She didn't have time to apologise. She needed to procure answers from the Hokage himself. It was just her luck then that Naruto was near Kakashi's office. Haphazardly, she grabbed the collar of the Jinchuuriki, an intense look on her face.

"What do you know of Shikamaru's mission?" she asked tersely, cutting straight to the point.

Normally, Naruto would be taking it as an affront but the urgency in the Suna native's voice was worrying. "I don't know. I _want_ to know."

Letting out an impatient sigh, Temari spun on her heel and then her eyes bluged a fraction when she saw Ino and Chouji. The Wind mistress frowned deeply. "What's going on? Why aren't you with Shikamaru?"

 _Was Shikamaru alone then?_ It was a harrowing thought that gave her a small shudder. The three were almost always together, no matter the mission. The fact that they were here in front of her and not accompanying where Shikamaru was escalated her worries.

The Yamanaka shook her head, and it was all Temari needed to see. Once more, the Suna kunoichi spun on her heel and headed to Kakashi's office. It took almost everything in her not to break the Rokudaime Hokage's door down.

"Shikamaru's mission details," she growled hurriedly. Temari swallowed the lump in her throat that was beginning to block her airway. " _Please._ "

Ino's eyes flew to the Suna Princess and she gasped slightly at the tremor in Temari's voice. Somehow, she felt for the Suna-nin, knowing the difficulty she must be burdened with by being kept in the dark by Shikamaru himself.

After sending a missive to Gaara for reinforcements, Temari, Ino, Chouji, and Sakura were off to the Country of Silence. It would be a four-day travel, and she sincerely hoped that they wouldn't be too late when they arrived.

Come the first evening, Temari broke away from the group to seek peace in the darkness. Try as she might, the kunoichi could not sleep when her insides turned in almost every direction at the tension that was rising up within her. Every minute, every second that passed that they did not advance was another minute, another second that could put Shikamaru in peril.

Naturally, it did not sit well with her, but she knew she needed the rest (however scarce it would be for her) so that she could stay on top of her form, should things get a little forceful. Temari hugged her knees and tucked her face on them. Her tight and rigid position gave her a slight relief from the current state of things.

A gentle hand on her shoulder brought her out of her cocoon, startling the jounin who didn't expect that someone would come after her. Temari didn't need to turn towards the person to know that it was Ino.

She relinquished the tight grip she had on herself and leaned her back against the trunk of the tree, letting out a heavy sigh. She spoke no word, but she didn't exactly refuse Ino's company. Truth be told, she found the desolation in the dark more inviting of troubling thoughts than peaceful ones.

Besides, she had grown to find Ino a valuable friend. Since she extended an olive branch to her fellow blonde back at the epilogue of the war, the Yamanaka had been adamant to snatch her away from Shikamaru from time to time whenever she was in Konoha.

"You should really eat something."

Temari shook her head and closed her eyes. "I don't think I will be able to hold it down anyways. I'll just aggravate my stomach."

"You forget I'm an Iryu-nin," Ino hummed softly. "I can settle that stomach and paralyse you temporarily just so you will eat."

"And you forget I can send you flying towards the forest before you can even get near me," Temari retorted, scowling.

Ino chuckled bitterly. "But I can also control your mind, Temari."

"Whatever."

The medic-nin brushed her fringe from her eyes and offered her friend a food pill. "Take one. It will help keep the churning of your stomach from happening for a few hours, long enough so you can eat. I have an obentou here for you."

"No thank you, Ino."

Still, the mind-jutsu user insisted. "Temari, we're going to travel for three more days. I'm not going to have Chouji carry you to the Land of Silence when you pass out from hunger or dehydration. Be reasonable."

A bitter thought entered her mind. Shikamaru and his state of duress at the moment was rendering her _unreasonable_. If he were developing into something akin to a weakness of hers, things could get detrimental from here on out.

"You know it's a matter of perspective, right?" Ino mused, nudging Temari lightly as she took the food pill.

"Stop reading my mind, Ino."

The Yamanaka shook her head then shrugged. "Your barriers are at an all-time low. Your thoughts are basically jumping at me."

The Wind user raised her brow and took the proffered obentou. "That is still invasion of privacy."

"Look, I'm sorry your thoughts are assaulting my mind, but I am not sorry for hearing them, especially at this moment," Ino said. "I don't think anyone such as yourself will just willingly accept that a person would be a point of weakness in them. And that's probably the last thing Shikamaru would want for you."

Chewing roughly, Temari merely grumbled in reply.

"I'm serious," Ino stressed. "It's a complicated thing to tackle but if you tried seeing him as anything but a weakness, he could very well be another source of strength for you. You know, like your brothers."

"How is that similar?" the Wind user challenged.

Smiling, Ino stretched her legs before her. "You would do anything for your brothers…would basically overrule any protocol to protect them or save them, if need be. Shikamaru could be the same. Besides, you're doing it now."

"Doing what now?" Temari asked, slightly confused.

"For someone who could be as smart as Shikamaru, you are so oblivious when it comes to your own self, Temari," Ino mused. "I mean that look at you now. You practically ran through the desert and the forest demanding mission details of a shinobi who's not even of your own village, then you're basically leading the retrieval team when you aren't even a shinobi of Konoha. Plus, our reinforcements would be Suna-nin and the Kazekage. Tell me that isn't breaching several protocols of the Union."

"To be fair, Shikamaru and Kakashi breached Union protocols, as well."

"That is beside the point, and you know it, Temari," Ino retorted gently. "There's no harm in holding Shikamaru on a similar regard as your brothers. After all, you two are very close friends. I am not going to pretend that my friendship with him goes on a level as deep as yours. And that's okay. At the end of the day, we're just shinobi who wish to save comrades who've found themselves in tight spots. It just so happens that we hold some of them dear to us compared to others."

Temari remained silent for a while, finishing her obentou while contemplating her friend's words. Ino may not be the most eloquent person there is, as she tends to ramble quite a lot, but the Wind user would have to admit that the Yamanaka did make excellent points.

"Thank you, Ino," she murmured, standing up and brushing herself off.

It was time to recollect herself and regroup. Temari was always unwavering, methodical, and logical. She might have slipped up briefly as she was faced with a situation she has never been before, but she knew better now. She knew better because she had friends who point her to the right direction.

She had three more days to master this shift in perspective that Ino suggested. The prospect didn't faze her, like the way nothing else could. Besides, she knew how to work smartly with or without the pressure of a deadline. Heck, her whole system was wired to work swifter given a time limit.

The Suna princess felt her head clear as she pulled Ino up. They walked back to their camp together, and she gave her fellow blonde a small smile of gratefulness for the pep talk. The kunoichi's mind was far from the scramble that it was for the last few days. Temari had a mission to complete, and she would move mountains to tick it off her list.

* * *

"You could have done without telling Shikamaru that it was me who basically rallied up our forces here, Gaara," she grumbled silently as they started to make their way home.

Pale green eyes looked her way briefly before they returned to the road before them. "But it is the truth, Aneue."

Her own teal eyes narrowed slightly, a frown upon her lips. "You might have become a bit of an expert when it comes to reading people and their subtle intentions, but you need to gain a filter for it. Not every truth needs to be voiced out, especially not in front of a platoon of Sunagakure shinobi and a handful of Konoha ninja."

"Did I embarrass you that much, Aneue?" Gaara asked, a slight worry seeping into his tone of voice. "If so, why should you find it embarrassing? There is nothing wrong with gathering an armada to rescue friends. They _are_ our friends. They've rescued us several times in the past, after all."

Temari was proud of her youngest brother for gaining the confidence and the willingness to reach out to people and befriend them. She was equally glad that he is able to read body language and facial expressions well enough to make a sound assumption regarding a person's intentions.

However, she was not proud of the fact that he still does not realize that there is a proper way of voicing such truths without making her look…well… _desperate._

Sighing, the Wind user merely shook her head. "You still have a long way to go regarding proper pragmatics, kozou. This is why you will probably never get a girlfriend."

"And with your evolved pragmatics, it's why you are likely to gain a boyfriend, Aneue?"

"I will strangle you for eavesdropping once we get home."

There were the tiniest pulls on each corner of Gaara's lips. Temari remained silent during the rest of the journey, not really in the mood for bantering with her youngest brother. Gaara might have been a bit of a social recluse at one point in his life, but he was quick to learn the art of sarcastic remarks when Kankuro showed him the process of it.

The sight of Kankuro waiting at the main gates of Suna was not one she expected to see. Moreover, she didn't expect the all-knowing smirk that has taken residence on his war paint-coated mouth. It wasn't welcome either.

"Shut up," she said, bypassing him and storming towards the Kazekage tower.

The smirk evolved into a teasing grin and the Wind kunoichi wanted to slug it off his face. "Anego, I haven't even said anything yet."

"Well, you were about to," Temari retorted, looking back at her brother with narrowed eyes before turning away once more and continuing on.

Kankuro raised his brow and turned towards the young Kazekage. "Right, little brother. What did you do?"

Gaara merely blinked up at his older brother and shrugged, signalling for the Sunagakure shinobi to continue making their way into the village. When he and Kankuro were alone by the gates, he answered the question. "I merely told Shikamaru that if it weren't for her deep concern regarding his situation, we would have lost a valuable ally in the Union."

"That's it?" Kankuro asked. "Temari's not going to fuss over such a little thing as that, jan."

"I might have said it in front of the Konoha party and in front of our shinobi," Gaara shrugged.

The puppet master was torn whether to laugh or to sympathise with his older sister. For all of Gaara's newly acquired social skills, he agrees with Temari that their little brother needs some kind of…tutoring…when it comes to pragmatics.

Eventually, Kankuro was able to shake off the back-and-forth banter growing in his head. "Kinda doesn't matter if it's the truth or not, Gaara. You know she hates being put in the spotlight, especially if its regarding something girly like _feelings_."

The Kazekage pursed his lips and scratched the side of his head. "Well, I just thought that it would be the best way for her to realise—"

"Let her realise in her own time, Gaara," Kankuro said, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Let them both realise in their own time, jan."

"But—"

The puppet master waved a hand dismissively. "We have nothing to do in this situation but speculate. Well, maybe we can tease our dear Anego a little."

Gaara knew that Kankuro likes to bait mischief, especially when it comes to the 'Temari and Shikamaru Situation' (as they have so called it). He could just imagine their dear sister's pissed off face and threats of bodily harm, but he couldn't resist joining his older brother in his antics. Besides, they awoke to the true essence of being siblings late in their lives. Might as well go full throttle.

"All right. If you say so…"

* * *

There was a cloud looming over Temari's form as she stomped her way through the corridors of the Kazekage tower. She basically parted the workers that were in her way just by them seeing the look on her face. With a little more force than required, she opened and closed the door to her quarters. At the opposite end of the hall, the two thirds of the Suna no Sankyodai were sharing quiet snickers.

The Suna princess haphazardly tugged off her gloves and threw them to her dresser, as she chucked off her sandals and casted them off to the side. The scowl on her face has softened to a deep frown but the annoyance was still very much potent.

Her brothers had been insufferable all throughout dinner. If they thought that their shared looks and meaningful glances were unnoticed by her, they were extremely mistaken. So, she called them out and urged them to share the silent conversation with her even if she already knew what it would be about.

Kazekage or not, Kazekage advisor or not, they were her little brothers and she would be damned if she didn't pin them down with her thumb. The two troublemakers received a slight twist to their respective ears before she stormed out of the dining hall…which was a bit of a petty move, now that she thought about it.

Sighing exasperatedly, Temari plopped down on her bed and sunk her face on her pillow. All these uncomfortable emotions were becoming a vantage point for her brothers to get the better of her these days, and she didn't like that one bit. It was all because that stupid Nara genius asked her out on a date and she agreed. Maybe she shouldn't have…

The thought sent a sour sensation to pool within her mouth and she struggled to dissipate it. It would do no one any good if she dwelled on such an irrelevant matter. Steeling her nerves and wiping her face away of any emotion, she stood up from her bed and went over to her desk to start the mission debrief report.

Her brothers didn't see her for about a week, save for mealtimes. Even then, she ate quietly and quickly before excusing herself and going back to her room to pore over whatever paperwork she needed to finish.

Six nights after she started her work lockdown in her quarters, Temari heard a knock on her door. She whipped her head to the side, waiting if any of their workers would update her on a matter or fetch her to attend a meeting. It was already a little late to hold a non-emergency meeting but it wasn't exactly unheard of.

When the person at the other side of the door remained silent, she stood up from her desk and opened the door to reveal her brothers waiting outside. Temari crossed her arms and raised a brow at the sight.

"Something you need?" she asked, direct to the point and a little impatient. If they came here for another one of their teasing bouts, they were going to have more than just their ears twisted.

Kankuro nudged Gaara to speak and the Kazekage did so. "We appreciate your incomparable work ethic for the past few days, but we have noticed that you are obsessing over the paperwork, Aneue."

The puppet master nodded and scratched his temple a bit. "Yeah, I mean we do appreciate very detailed reports and insights, along with three contingency plans for each proposal, but damn, Anego. We can't absorb 50-page reports easily like you do, jan."

"I'm just doing—"

"Your job. Yes, we know, Aneue," Gaara retorted gently. "And we wouldn't have said anything but the last two days, you have barely eaten. You've barely left your room. We don't think that's healthy work behaviour, even if it does produce superb results."

Temari clicked her tongue and her eye twitched a little. "Did you come here just to berate me, then?"

"As if we could, jan," Kankuro grumbled.

Gaara shook her head. "We have come to call a ceasefire, if you would just take a few days off from doing village responsibilities. You've done a month's work in five days, after all."

"Please," Kankuro nodded.

The Suna princess eyed her brothers critically before nodding. "A ceasefire…indefinitely."

The Kazekage and his advisor shared a quick glance before Kankuro opened his mouth to formulate a retort. "Ah, we, uh—"

" _Indefinitely._ "

"Hai, hai. Wakata," Gaara nodded. "Just rest, please. You've grown pale, Aneue. We're merely concerned for your well-being."

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Well, thank you for your concern, then."

Gaara stuck his foot between the door and the frame when Temari poised to close it. "We'd be more assured if you didn't keep paperwork in your room for the next week or so."

Kankuro pushed his way into her quarters and procured the many scrolls she had, while he left the loose-leaf documents for Gaara to collect.

"Honestly, there is no need to go overboard," Temari groaned. "And no need to confiscate my ink and brush, kono yaro!"

"Gomen, Anego. Can't take any chances with you, jan," Kankuro smirked, opening her drawers to gather more of Temari's writing materials. "We'll give all of them back to you when we have figured that you've rested enough."

The Kazekage double checked every nook and cranny of her desk before giving his sister a small smile. "It's for your own good, Aneue."

"Fine. I get it already; now go," she grumbled, practically shoving them outside of her quarters. "Good night!"

When she was alone in her room, Temari couldn't help but smile widely at the situation. They have come so far as siblings, but her brothers still continue to surprise her and make her feel so cared for. The warmth that emanated from her chest soon spread all throughout her body.

Temari walked over to her almost empty desk and set her gaze upon the framed picture of two people. The woman had purple eyes, shoulder-length brown hair, and a face similar to hers. The man had a seemingly blank expression on his face, but his eyes were expressive of the affection that he doesn't always show to those important to him.

The Suna princess laid a hand on the glass of the frame and grinned widely before she whispered to the room, hoping that the two people in the portrait would hear her words.

"We're doing well."

* * *

The first few days of her _forced break_ were actually pleasant. Temari didn't know she needed to catch up on sleep until she took several naps in one day. By the fourth day, she was already replenished on energy that she knew she needed to expend it in one way or another, so she headed down to the Sandbox, as the villagers aptly put it.

It was a stretch of land with nothing but sand. Their age-mate peers in the council encouraged Gaara to have the desolate land developed to cater to sand sports both mild and extreme. After a few hours of wind surfing on the sand, she made her way back to the tower for a relaxing afternoon.

Five days into her break, she had found herself at a loss on what recreation she should do, so she merely lounged inside her quarters, watching the hustle and bustle of Sunagakure streets through her windows. People watching was one of the activities she had grown to appreciate as she was fascinated with human interaction.

Sometimes, she thought about how her life would be if she were a commoner. She would probably be a librarian or a keeper of government documents, something mundane but still deals with a great deal of paperwork. She could also imagine herself being an academician for the civilians as she liked to deal with a myriad of different personalities, giving them advice on what steps to take regarding studies or life in general.

Whatever she would have been if she weren't born of royal blood, though, it wouldn't have compared to what she has now. It was an entertaining thought to imagine but she wouldn't trade the job that she has now, the responsibilities that she has to keep, nor the things that she could do.

Temari was thankful she could travel to lands far and wide to seal the deal of the hard-earned peace following the latest war. She was grateful that she plays a part in creating a world that would bring about harmonious relationships among people of different walks of life. If she had to go through the horrible childhood she and her brothers have once more, she would go through it again willingly if this were the aftermath every single time.

On top of it all, she would never exchange for anything the alliances she and her brothers have forged, the allies they have met throughout their life thus far, and the friends they made even after the great mishap in Konoha following their first Chuunin exams as a three-man team.

She sighed at the direction where her thoughts were going. The thought of the exams alone sent an inexplicable lurch in her chest. Just the words alone were enough to evoke memories of that final fight that she had with _him_ , along with the events that followed thereafter. Who would have thought that the lazy genius would become a long-time partner in administering said exams?

 _The universe really does like to entertain itself with the damnedest and most ridiculous of situations_ , the kunoichi mused to herself. Sighing softly, she let her mind wander aimlessly until _his_ face suddenly popped out of nowhere. Her lips tightened slightly and she admonished herself for treading on thin ice.

Then again, she figured she had pushed away such thoughts for so long now that it was beginning to affect the way she took care of herself. Her brothers were adamant to point that out, hence them forcing this little vacation on her. Temari turned away from the window and sat on her bed, hugging her knees. It seemed to be developing into some kind of go-to position for her for when she needed to think.

In the silence, she heard their conversation inside her head.

 _Next time, how about eating a meal together?_

It was ridiculous how the idiot genius phrased it. It was as if it was an invitation to do something they have never done before. In fact, throughout their years of friendship and working together, eating together was a normal occurrence.

Of course, her brain had jumped to conclusions without her express permission and the brain-to-mouth filter that she claims she has seems to have decided to malfunction right at that exact moment.

 _Are you asking me out on a date?_

For everything that could have been assumed from Shikamaru's offer of sharing a meal, Temari had concluded that the Nara was asking him out on a date. The last time she checked, she wasn't the type of female who spent ridiculous amounts of time fantasizing over such matters…like Ino…or Sakura, even.

 _Well, yeah, it is that sort of thing._

His rarely fazed tone was struggling to become nonchalant with her after she posed the question. _It is that sort of thing?_ What kind of response was that? Her question had been pretty straightforward, only warranted a yes or no answer. The fact that he seemed to be half-baked regarding the prospect was now worrying her.

Did she just put words in his mouth?

Temari groaned and clenched her fists, blunt nails digging into the palm of her hands. She didn't know which was worse: Shikamaru not really meaning to ask her out on a date (just sharing a meal together) or her jumping to ludicrous assumptions that he was asking her out on a date.

Her head stirred at the beginning conundrum, unable to decide whether to feel embarrassed, mortified, or down-right ashamed. She curled into a ball and tugged her bed covers over her despite the heat still creeping into her quarters. Even in her isolation, she felt so out of her skin that she wanted the ground to just open up and drag her to nothingness.

There was a flurry in her stomach and she cursed at it in silence. She already had her undefined feelings to deal with; she didn't need the physiological side effects of said feelings to goad her further!

"Why?" she asked in a whisper to no one in particular.

 _Why?!_

The one-worded question made her chest lurch once more. Obviously, there was something she was missing since she couldn't figure out the answer to her question. Somehow, she thought of her brothers and how they would always egg her on regarding her friendship with Shikamaru. It wasn't always that way.

 _Why do they do that? What is it that they know, yet I don't?_

A thin film of sweat had begun to cover her skin with the heat that was beginning to radiate inside her and the heat that circulated around her quarters. Suddenly, her throat felt parched and she threw her covers off to fetch water from her personal fridge. Temari drank from a bottle furiously, wiping the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand as another question popped in her mind.

 _And why am I so affected by their teasing?_

"It's just a date," she said to herself, returning the water bottle. "Maybe it's not even a date. Maybe he just let me think that because he didn't want to correct me because he knows I'll be embarrassed."

Then again, Shikamaru would never miss the chance to one-up her no matter the situation. Given such fact, was it enough to assume that he also wanted the date to happen?

"Could he just not articulate his true intentions that well?" she asked out loud before she stopped herself. "Oh, for goodness sake, I'm talking to myself."

Temari started to pace around her room, thankful that she had the luxury of privacy at the moment. "I'm talking to myself. I am talking _to myself_. Out loud. I'm losing my mind."

Crossing her arms, she stalked towards her bed and dropped onto it once more. Her legs dangled on the edge, swinging about as the nerves overtook her once more. Temari took a few deep breaths to regulate her respiration and heartbeat, as she found them far too distracting when they sped up.

 _This can't go on_ , she decided. This act of hers where she beat around the bush was agonising even to her. The kunoichi needed to find answers, but she didn't know where to look for them. Looking for some reprieve from her stuffy quarters, Temari looked out to the streets once more.

Her eyes widened when she spotted a fruit peddler endorsing his pineapples. Huffing, the kunoichi averted her gaze. Her sight landed on a child and the sight of the young boy sent a small smile on her face…until said young boy began to play with his shadow. Of all things that the kid had to notice, it was the long, dark figure on the ground created by the impasse of light due to his figure.

 _Of fucking course._

Grumbling, the kunoichi looked for another scenery to focus on. Temari propped her chin on the palm of her hand, setting her elbow on the window pane. Some children (who weren't making silly figures with their shadows, thankfully) were drawing figures on the sand with their wooden twigs. The smile on her face returned until one girl snatched the twig of her playmate and put said twigs on her head, one on each side.

Said girl began chasing the boy around the street and she allowed herself a chuckle. The mirth on her face soon dissolved when her mind conjured up an image of the animal that resembled the girl's antics. Her frown deepened when she realised that the image was a deer.

"Chikushou!"

The Suna princess turned away from her window and dropped down on her desk chair, putting her face in her hands. _This is getting stupidly ridiculous_ , she thought bitterly. _If Shikamaru were here, he'd laugh at me. Then, he'd know what to do._

Once more, her own mind managed to surprise her. Temari jumped on her chair slightly and her spine straightened. Were they so reliant on each other that her first thought is _him_ when she was in distress about something she couldn't solve by herself?

But it's normal since they were great, close friends, isn't it?

Then again, he invited her to eat a meal together. Shikamaru actually went out of his way to call her attention to extend an invitation to do something that they have always been doing. It just goes to show that he wanted to separate—to distinguish—this new, forthcoming experience from the ones they have done in the past.

He wished to cross a boundary, blur the line, leap to another level regarding their relationship.

This _date_ that they were to have…what exactly does it mean?

Dates could be friendly. She has had several of those with Ino and Sakura (and in the past with Shikamaru). They could also be filial in nature, as she goes on them with her brothers from time to time. Yet, they could also be romantic—a prospect that could soon be explored with the idiot genius.

Dates, basically, have differing purposes. Will their friendly lunch dates, then, soon evolve into something of the romantic kind? Maybe. Maybe not. Dates are only romantic if both persons involved have romantic interest in each other.

The evilness that was her mind conjured up another question: _Do I have romantic interest in Shikamaru?_

Her heartbeat suddenly rang in her ears and her palms began to sweat profusely at the mere thought. The atmosphere in her quarters have grown a tad denser and she was beginning to struggle breathing properly. A grip in her throat formed and her stomach turned in on itself.

"Do I?" she asked herself, voice as small as a squeak.

As if on cue, her brain started to flash through almost every interaction she had Shikamaru had over the course of their friendship. It was as if she were witnessing the development of their relationship from an outsider's perspective—the view that everyone else but them has.

They have grown from respect for each other's intellect, to knowing their habits and tendencies, to knowing the ins and outs of each other's personalities. They have talked for hours on end regarding their childhood, their antics when they were young, and their naïve dreams long after they've finished talking about work.

Every grin she gave him, every berating that she effortlessly delivered, every word of encouragement, every sliver of worry, every semblance of belief in him, and every little pride she felt for the lazy genius…everything was because she allowed herself to care for him.

However, she had unknowingly leaped the trench, and she now cared for him _so_ _much._

It was the answer to her question. It was what everybody saw, what her brothers were trying to tell her in their own twisted way. It was what Ino was comforting her about, saying that it was okay for her to regard Shikamaru in the same level as her brothers… _because she already does_.

Now, does she have romantic interest in him? Maybe. _Most likely._

Temari's mouth hung open at the realization and her eyes shifted from one side to the other. Soft pants were escaping her and her fists clenched at the truth that she was beginning to see in front of her. No other question mattered at the moment, and frankly, she didn't have the energy to think about other things at the moment.

Possibly being in love with your best friend was already a fact that her mind was struggling to wrap itself around. It was ironic, given the fact that it was her own mind that had led her to such realisation.

"I'd know," she said softly with a nod. "I'd know for sure when I see him."

Closing her eyes, Temari willed for the commotion within her to settle. She had to admit that a great weight had been lifted off her chest as she now has a strong, tangible theory to suffice her hypothesis. At least she wasn't creeping around in the dark.

All that's left to do now was to wait for an opportunity for them to talk and actually have that date. Temari looked forward to the luncheon now, as she knew it would help clear up more of the fuzzy details regarding the paradigm shift between the two of them.

Obviously, they still were friends. It was a fact that wasn't ever going to cease no matter the circumstance. They knew _too much_ about the other for them to suddenly be at opposing sides.

However, the possibility of becoming something more than just friends was a viable prospect depending on how things really were on Shikamaru's end of the rope. For all she knew, it could be a one-sided thing.

Her jaw tightened at the other viable prospect and she sincerely hoped that the future wouldn't be too cruel on her. Temari practically has non-existent experience regarding matters of the heart, so she wouldn't know what to do if the reality wouldn't be favourable for her.

Shaking such negative thoughts away, Temari got up and fetched herself another bottle of water. Going through such a tremendous emotional ordeal in such a short span of time was exhausting, and she needed something cold to combat the heat that seemed to forever accompany her thoughts of Shikamaru.

As if on cue, a knock sounded on her door. The Wind kunoichi strolled towards it and opened to find her youngest brother with a scroll in his hand.

"Sorry to cut your vacation short, Aneue, but I need you to go on another liaison trip to Konoha," Gaara said, giving her the missive. "Chuunin exams planning and strategising are coming up. You'd represent us for the initial meeting, yes?"

Temari allowed herself a small smile, but she was unable to help it when her lips parted to a wider grin. "Gladly."

* * *

Some new words for y'all:  
Anego-elder sister  
Kozou-kid; youngster  
Chikushou-damn it; shit  
Iryu-nin-medical ninja  
Obentou-packed food  
Kono yaro-you bastard  
Gomen-sorry


	3. Chapter 3

daimyou-feudal lord  
ryo-the currency in the Naruto universe  
wakata-I understand  
oishii ne-delicious/tasty

* * *

 _Slick. Slack. Slick. Ssslack._ A pause. _Ssslack._

Half past 10 in the morning and he already wished that he had his mother's enthusiasm for the clan tasks that lay before him. Shikamaru let out a soft sigh as he looked towards his right, only to see a sight that had been unchanged ever since they sat down on one of the tables in the Nara clan archives: his mother bent over one of the clan's ancient books to refresh herself with the Nara regulations and traditions.

The newly inducted clan head took a break from Hokage advising that day to focus more on clan work. He had big portions of responsibilities piled up on his plate and he knew he had to devote equal time in tending to them in a given week. So far, his randomness in deciding when to put on the Hokage advisor hat or the Nara clan head hat proved useful. While he loved planning and strategy, one can never be fully prepared for whatever the coming days may hold.

 _Slick. Slack. Slick. Ssslack._

The sound of pages turning and Yoshino's finger sliding on the leaf of the book she was reading was a little hypnotic, lulling him to a state where his body was craving for an early day nap. Yet whenever he was tempted to leave his mother in the archives, a familiar snarky voice will cut through his mind and shake him awake. No matter how far away the voice's owner was, _her_ presence was very much potent.

Which was a little distracting and motivating, at the same time…which equates to _troublesome_.

"She's not going to like you moping around," his mother's voice cut through his little bubble. "Especially if it's about her."

Chocolate-hued eyes darted towards the elder Nara's direction and narrowed. "I am not moping around. See? I'm getting work done. While on the topic of work, is it so bad to take a few minutes of break once in a while?"

Yoshino closed the book she was reading and faced her son with an entertained look on her face. "Goodness, so stingy, it's borderline disrespectful to your poor, humble mother."

"Kaa-san, you're anything but," Shikamaru groaned, scratching his temple idly.

"I thought you'd be over your annoyance by now," the mother hummed, crossing her arms and smirking. "It seems that you can't get it out of your mind."

Shikamaru clicked his tongue and scowled at his mother deeply. "The clansmen were congratulating me for days, and I didn't even know why! You know, before you start orchestrating something like this, at least make sure it's all right with me. Or better yet, make sure it's all right with Temari."

"Oh please," Yoshino waved with a dismissive hand. "It's not like it wasn't going to happen anyway. I'd rather save the clan from arranging another induction ceremony so soon after yours, as all of us are busy people."

"That's not the point, Kaa-san," Shikamaru groused, frown deepening into his face. "You put me and Temari in a position that's seriously telling of the clan's future, while we both were unaware of it happening."

Sighing, Shikamaru struggled to keep the memories of the past few days away. He was greeted by a myriad of congrats and well wishes by his clansmen whenever he was walking around the compound. For the first times, he attributed that to news getting around that he was going to be trained as a Hokage advisor. The clan head accepted the kind words with gratitude until one of the toddler Naras asked a question that shook his core.

 _Are you going to leave Konoha, Shikamaru-niisama? Or is Temari-san going to live here with us?_

The jounin then felt his mind run twice, thrice its normal processing speed as he put two and two together. Not wishing to disappoint the child, Shikamaru had scrambled for a reply that was along the lines of _'We haven't discussed it yet.'_ It was vague; he knew, but it was enough for the child and her equally curious father (who was gracious enough to stay quiet throughout the exchange). Besides, it was what was true anyway: they haven't a chance to discuss this ongoing transition in their relationship.

"Don't tell me you're planning on courting another person, then?" he heard his mother ask, which successfully shooed away his recall of immediate past events. "If you are, then tell me now, so I can do damage control."

Shikamaru felt like a heavy weight was pressed down on his chest and for a moment, he struggled to take in a breath. The intense, questioning look in his mother's eyes compelled him to speak. "N-No! I mean, uh, no…I don't—eh…plan on courting…anyone…"

"Well, I should at least hope you just don't toss a ring in Temari's direction and then drag her to the Nara forest to exchange vows one day," the black-haired woman hummed with a frown. She knew how lazy her son was, but she hoped this was something he could at least exert effort for that wasn't battlefield or shogi strategy. "She deserves so much more than that—"

"For Kami's sake, woman, why are you so obsessed with the idea of me marrying Temari?!"

He gulped and winced as he felt a shadow appendage crawl on his side and twist his ear. Shikamaru may be the Nara clan head, but he realised then that it certainly doesn't give him the privilege to yell disrespectfully at his mother.

"G-Gomen nasai, Kaa-san!" he squealed when the shadow hand twisted his ear a little _too_ much.

Yoshino closed her eyes and withdrew her assault, shaking her head. "The younger generation is slowly becoming disrespectful to the old ones, goodness me. I hope it doesn't go downhill from here."

"I think it's just me," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Gomen, Kaa-san, but you're really just riling me up right now with your underhanded tactics that involve not only me, but Temari, too."

"It's only for your own good. It seems that despite having a high IQ rating, you are as clueless as ever when it comes to your own self," his mother lamented, opening another book. "Since I now have been caught red-handed in these so-called underhanded tactics, I'll be retracting my claws in your pursuit of Temari."

A brow raised and the clan head rested his chin upon his propped-up hand. "What even makes you think that I am pursuing Temari?"

"I don't need a reason to know these things," Yoshino hummed. "I just know."

"Who told you?"

The mother sighed heavily as she began to peruse the book she held. "Fine. It was Ino."

He ran a hand down his face and groaned. "That little—"

"Don't fault your friend for wanting to share such news. Goodness knows it's been a long time coming between you two," she retorted softly.

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" he mumbled.

Yoshino sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. _Why can't her son get it?_ "Because it's true, you genius moron."

"Tch. Troublesome."

"Also, I wish you'd stop saying things like that when it concerns her. You owe your life to her with this last mission of yours, at least treat her with even a little semblance of gratefulness," the older Nara admonished.

Shikamaru was silent for a while. His mind pondered on the words that his mother uttered, and he felt a pang on his chest that soon spread towards his whole body. His muscles laxed and his mind reeled as it evoked a quick run-through of his friendship with the Cruellest Kunoichi. Suddenly, he felt guilty for pushing away the impact of Temari's existence on his own.

"I owe her for my life in more ways than one," he whispered softly.

She almost didn't catch the statement that flowed so easily out of his mouth, but Yoshino was thankful that she did. Shikamaru always had a difficult time talking about his feelings ever since he was a child, and while she and Shikaku fostered an environment that was open for his ideas and emotions, the Nara clan head still needed some push when it comes to the matters of his heart.

Yoshino gently shut the book and laid it on the table before her, carefully twisting her body to look at her son. She didn't wish to alarm him. The Nara, in one way or another, resemble the habits and reflexes of the animals they care for. Her child seemed like a fawn in her eyes at the moment, any rash reactions or startling movements would no doubt scare him away. The mother stayed silent as her son figured out the puzzles in his mind.

His eyes were downcast, but they were neither sad nor desolate. In fact, he looked a little reminiscent with an almost non-existent smile on his lips. "Looking back, she's saved my life countless times. She's given me words of encouragement whenever I earned them, and likewise, unforgivingly scolded me whenever I needed it.

"I don't know how she does it, but she kinda makes me think of Asuma and Oyaji. I can count on her for when I need the extra boost, even if I don't ask for it. Then, she would be the first to haul my arse back to the right way if ever I strayed. I don't know why I keep on denying that she's important to me. Maybe it's because I don't know how to proceed forward. I don't know what to do now, even if I already know these things," Shikamaru breathed softly.

Taking a silent breath, Yoshino took a risk to extend her arm and lay her hand on her son's shoulder. She felt a tiny flicker of relief when Shikamaru didn't flinch or shove her away. "You know, one of the greatest things that I will always remember your father for is that he never leaves anything important left unsaid.

"He always makes sure that I know of his feelings, and I am sure you felt the same way when he was alive. It's why it was so easy to get over his loss, not because I do not miss him nor do I love him less, but it was because he prepared me for what was to possibly come. Shikaku's words and actions are the reason why I am strong right now. He made sure that no matter what happens to him, I will be strong enough to move forward.

"Now, why am I telling you this? I just want you to be a little bit like your father in that aspect, though he and I wish for you to be better than the both of us combined. I want you to live forth without regrets, and that includes confronting things that are difficult to confront, and saying things you are completely afraid of saying. It makes me glad that after all these events, you can now admit that that special friend of yours is more than just a person whom you like annoying and calling _troublesome_.

"I think I can rest easy that you're going into the right direction. Heck, it should be easy for you now. Think about all the things that you've just gone through. The both of you had gone through war and back, and had known how it is to lose people important to you. What if either of you lost the other, and you've realised you have so much to say to them after they have long gone?

"But, you didn't. You're both in this world, alive today, and very much capable of doing things and saying words that could eventually lead to a kind of happiness you both never knew you wanted."

Shikamaru knew that his eyes were getting misted the longer that his mother spoke. In just a few minutes, she was able to render him helpless by invoking a cyclone of emotions that he wasn't acquainted with on a daily basis. His hands started to get clammy at the mention of his father, and then his chest twanged slightly when talked about the alternate endings of the fourth war.

He sat in silence for a little longer, relishing in the warmth of his mother's hand on his shoulder. "What…what if she doesn't reciprocate?"

A small smirk appeared on her lips, which Yoshino tried to wipe away. "She and you have been attached at each other's hip whenever you get the chance, starting when you became friends. She cared enough to encourage you at your lowest moments, and scolded you at your stupidest ones. I think it's safe to say that she has invested much of herself in you already and may be on the brink of thinking about these things herself. Besides, it's only natural for girls to think and re-think about situations after a guy asks them out."

Shikamaru allowed himself a small smirk and a silent harrumph before he grew thoughtful once more. "What if I mess it up?"

"Well, you know Temari since you were 12 and have been friends with her shortly after you fought in the exams. You two are workmates and partners for several Suna-Konoha missions. What does she do whenever you mess up?"

After a short time of deliberation, Shikamaru spoke. "She scolds me then joins me in analysing what went wrong and brainstorming plausible solutions to encountered problems."

Yoshino smiled warmly and laid her other hand on his opposite shoulder. The mother squeezed his son's strong muscles in glee. "Well, then! There is your answer! Realising that you two have feelings for each other doesn't have to change the entire essence of your relationship. You two should still treat each other the same way, only you have the option to be a little more emotionally intimate now. Crossing the line of romantic involvement doesn't mean you have to give up your friendship with her. In fact, it only solidifies that!"

"I-I guess…I guess that is true," he whispered, the words of his mother sinking deeply into his mind.

"Good; I'm glad you resonate with me on this," Yoshino said, patting Shikamaru's cheek before turning back to her book. "The Nara matriarch ring should be back in the family vault by now. I had it cleaned when I relinquished it, and it shouldn't take more than two days for the cleaners to do their job. You can have Rihachi escort you to—"

Shikamaru widened his eyes slightly at her statements. "Wait, jeez. Marriage already? How about we see how things work out between Temari and me?"

Her brows crinkled and she glanced sideways towards her son. "You speak as if it isn't going to happen eventually."

"I mean it's just too soon. I mean I haven't even properly courted—"

"And why are you planning to court her in the first place?" Yoshino dared ask.

"Because she is important to me and I can't lose her?" Shikamaru queried.

The Nara elder rolled her eyes. "You sound very unsure, Shikamaru. For your information, you don't court someone just to drop them like a mangled kunai. You court them with the intention of marrying them, else you shouldn't court them at all. People and people's feelings aren't ice cream flavours to try out. You can't discard them when you find something that just isn't up to your liking. If you're going to pursue Temari, do it without compromises, shortcuts, nor half-assed efforts. You give it your all because it's only fair."

"Ain't that a bit—"

"Too much?" Yoshino finished for her son. "Why? Did Temari ever compromise whenever it was you involved?"

He didn't need to be reminded of every single time Temari crossed some unspoken line or boundary whenever his life was involved. Shikamaru need only to look at the latest mission he took to know the answer to his mother's query. Bypassing Shinobi Alliance laws and rallying up Sunagakure reinforcements for his sake, on top of the fact that her brother—the Kazekage— personally showed up to the Land of Silence? It was obvious, and he would be a fool if he didn't recognise that.

"No. Never."

"Still have doubts and reservations regarding the Sand Princess?" his mother bickered lightly.

Shikamaru's seriousness settled on his face as he shook his head. If he were willing to risk his life to protect the World that Temari lived in (like he told Gengo he would), then he would move mountains and stir the desert to make sure she was nothing short of face-achingly happy. "No. Not anymore."

"Good. Because you just might have competition," his mother sang.

As quickly as it appeared on his face, the serious and steadfast expression was replaced with confusion and alarm. "W-What do you mean, Kaa-san?"

Yoshino turned a page and smiled saccharinely, drawing out the silence just so she could torture her son a bit. "Oh, you haven't figured it out?"

"Figured what out?"

"You are so, so naïve, my fawn."

Shikamaru took a deep breath and ran a hand down his face once more. "It would really help if you can just tell me. I thought you wanted her to become your daughter-in-law?"

"Mm, fine. Picture this, young fawn," she hummed, turning another page. "The war ended, sure, but did the conflicts stop? Maybe for a while, it did. Did the politicking stop? Not really, no. With the valour Temari has shown in the war along with the rest of the Suna forces, word got spread around.

"The peace may have reigned for a little while but the real work of keeping the peace starts now, Shikamaru. The Shinobi Alliance is a force to be reckoned with, and no doubt villages and lands both shinobi and non-shinobi alike will want to be allied with the union. There will no doubt be an influx of arranged marriages here and there just so tiny villages and lands with power-hungry leaders could get a taste of more power. The Sand has long reclaimed its glory when that brother of hers took reign. People would want to ally themselves with the village, and it could be possible that a lot of them would ask for her hand in marriage."

"But that's ridiculous! Arranged marriages are things of the past now, right?" he refuted. "Besides, Gaara wouldn't just hand Temari over to some stranger. He values his older sister very much just for him to decide to marry her off to some daimyou or whomever."

Yoshino nodded at his statements. "Yes, that is true. However, Gaara is not the question here. What if it took you ages to get your arse moving and she figured nothing would ever happen between you two? She might decide for herself that being arranged to marry a stranger will be much more feasible if it's the future of Sunagakure on the line. If you take too long, Shikamaru, other men may take notice of her. She's not very hard to miss with a strong presence and even stronger personality. Not to mention the fact that she is very beautiful, too. So, who's not to say other men haven't noticed her already?"

His face became hard at the hypothetical scenarios that his mother so vividly painted. Just the thought of other men getting close with Temari made him want to claw his eyeballs out just so he could get the mental picture out of his head. Then again, Temari would probably scare half her pursuers away even before they get near her, especially if they annoyed her even the slightest bit.

Though, he supposed that what his mother said was also plausible. Given a situation wherein Temari would choose between herself and her duty towards her village, he was almost sure what her answer would be. It would be as if there were no other options besides satisfying the future of Suna.

Swallowing, he dissolved the suppositional situations away and just focused on his goal. It was going to be the most troublesome thing he would ever undertake in his life, but there was a small voice in him that chanted hopes in repeat that this would be the greatest thing he would ever achieve should he succeed.

"I'm going out to get us lunch," he said, suddenly craving for some fresh air to clear his mind and strategise. "I'll be back in half an hour or so."

Shikamaru stood and wrapped an arm around his mother, dropping a kiss on her cheek. He was rarely affectionate towards her, and though she constantly nags him about so many things in his life, Shikamaru loved and appreciated his mother. It was the greatest thing his father taught him to do. "Thank you, Kaa-san."

"Anytime," she hummed, watching as he left the archives. The elder Nara smiled so proudly and so widely as soon as she was alone and sniggered to herself in glee.

"Oh, I wish you were here, Shikaku," she sang to the empty room. "Even if only right at this moment to know that you're right about them."

The former Nara matriarch went back to busy herself with the aged books and tomes, but not before making a mental note to lay a 1000 Ryo bill in front of Shikaku's portrait. After all, he guessed correctly that Shikamaru would realise his feelings at 19 years of age. Yoshino was off by a year, with her guess at 20.

At the corner of her eye, a pair of strong stag legs seemingly galloped. She whipped her head to the side only to find the bookshelf that was always there.

Yoshino could only smile in melancholy.

* * *

Whenever he would learn of her pending arrival in Konoha, Shikamaru would get a strange surge of _something_ course through his body. In light of recent revelations and realisations, he knew now that it was excitement that trigger the tingling of his spine. Per usual, he waited by the gates for the Suna ambassadress.

He wasn't given a mission to escort her anymore, both Hokage whom he served under just assumed that he was going to do it whether he was asked to or not. And besides, Temari had been serving as Suna's liaison to Konoha for years now, and has stayed for days and weeks on end. She knew her way around already. Then again, such fact was irrelevant to Shikamaru.

As he leaned on the wall and crossed his arms, he sighed at his thoughts. It really does seem like everyone suspected there was something going on in between them, all the while that both he and Temari were pathetically clueless about this certain something.

Once that familiar mop of spiky blonde hair came into view, he kept his emotions well sealed as if items tightly packed inside a sealing scroll. Shikamaru pushed off the village wall and donned on his usual nonchalant expression as Temari neared and neared the village gates.

"Who pissed you off so early in the morning?" he asked as soon as he spotted her deeply irritated look.

"The world," came her clipped reply and Shikamaru merely shrugged, following her into the village after she signed her name on Izumo and Kotetsu's forms. The Nara clan head desperately wanted to scrub off the knowing looks on the village guards' faces.

Somehow, he was a little deflated that she arrived in such a foul mood (though he was unsure why) that morning, because he couldn't be direct with her then. An annoyed Temari was akin to a bomb waiting to detonate, after all, and he didn't wish to be the one to push her buttons. Heck, their supposed date may have to be postponed for the moment, and he tried hard not to be terribly disappointed by it.

"Yeah, uh, Kakashi would expect you to report first thing," he started as they walked towards the Hokage building. "Then the meeting would take place for the whole day, after all the liaisons have arrived. We're just waiting for Kiri's representative, and she shouldn't be long now, I am told."

"Wakata."

Oh, how he wished she said something longer than a few syllables!

They reached the room where the meeting would be held and Shikamaru took his place beside Temari. For the others, nothing seemed unusual as the pair always sat together. Then again for Shikamaru, there was an invisible wall surrounding Temari that was palpable to him. Much as he wanted to confront her, or at least try to ask if she were all right, it seemed pretty clear to him that she needed the space for the moment.

Suddenly, all the doubts and reservations regarding their _situation_ threatened to come back and his hands felt a little cold yet clammy. Shikamaru discreetly took a few breaths to calm his racing mind. There was no use being illogical at the moment. Besides, he hadn't even done anything yet, so there was no reason to believe that she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. Right?

Or did he misinterpret her answer when he not-so-smoothly asked her out on a date some time ago? _Fuck_.

Truth be told, it really was the world that annoyed Temari. Well, the world and her body.

The first third of her journey went along just fine. If she were to be honest, there was a spring in every sprint that she did when she crossed the desert that she had come so familiar with. She owed it to the fact that she would finally be seeing Shikamaru. Seeing him meant that a light would finally be shone on her confusing sentiments.

When she entered the Country of Fire, however, she was visited by her monthly cycle. Or as she liked to call it, the Traitor in Red. As she was a shinobi, the cramping and the muscle fatigue were something that she dealt with flourish, if she could say so herself. Then again, she suffered the same hormonal backlash every woman, civilian and kunoichi alike, suffers from.

Her excitement was quickly wiped away by nervousness at the first night. Her anticipation of having her feelings sorted out was quickly soured into anxiousness. Suddenly, she felt extremely out of her own skin and unsure if what she was going to traverse with regards to Shikamaru were a good idea.

Then, her real personality (the one that wasn't plagued by these blasted hormones) would surface, and she would scold her own self for being so _cowardly_. The internal conflict lasted all throughout the rest of the journey, and she wasn't able to resolve it by the time she reached Konoha…which meant that seeing Shikamaru wasn't as reassuring as she had hoped for.

To make matters worse, he seemed to be giving her space and she knew that he sensed the volatility of her being. Temari wasn't sure if she liked it because it meant that he was sensitive about her feelings and needs; or if she hated it because it could imply that he needed an outside force to come into her world to try and comfort her. The kunoichi couldn't decide whether the Shikamaru who was beside her was a sensitive-take-all-the-time-you-need guy or a you're-too-troublesome-when-you're-annoyed-so-I-am-staying-the-hell-away-from-you guy.

The temptation to just bury her face on the table was far too strong to ignore but she managed to keep her composure nonetheless. The last representative hadn't even arrived yet, but she already wanted to retreat to her quarters always reserved for her at the inn she always stayed at.

It was going to be a long day, indeed.

* * *

After half an hour of walking, they found themselves inside a curry restaurant tucking into some much-needed meal after an exhausting whole-day meeting. Every now and then, Shikamaru snuck a glance toward her, silently wondering what could possibly be running through her mind.

The male jounin had made several attempts on making conversation, asking about her trip, her work in Suna, her brothers, and several other things that he knew would pique her interest. However, he was only rewarded with short answers bordering on non-committal. It was as if Temari found it a chore to spend time with him that evening.

Still, he tried to make it as enjoyable as possible given the weird disposition she had ever since she arrived in the village that morning. Shikamaru cracked a joke once in a while, catering to their shared dry and sarcastic humour. He'd get a small harrumph or the shortest of sniggers, and none of the unapologetic laugh that he was so used to hear from her.

As the evening went on, her silence was slowly yet surely getting to him. However, he rallied forward, willing to pull out a conversation from her about anything and everything. Heck, he even craved for a story about how Kankuro had done something idiotic or how she would be proud of Gaara for achieving whatever it was that seemed worthy of being lauded for.

* * *

To say that she was surprised when he offered to walk her back to her inn was a bit of an understatement. Temari knew that she was a less than desirable dinner companion earlier, and she sort of expected Shikamaru to excuse himself with a lame alibi that she would easily forgive him for. Yet, there he was walking beside him on the path that they had trodden so many times before.

Temari wanted to apologise but she couldn't bring herself to say anything for fear of saying _too much_. Her mind was in scrambles ever since the Traitor in Red came, and she hadn't gotten the time to sort it out. So, she resorted to a defence mechanism that automatically came to her, and that was to shut people out.

She had taken note of his valiant effort to create a pleasant atmosphere for dinner, and she felt sorry for him, as he fell victim to her toxic tendencies. Temari worried too much on how she would comport herself around him that she was practically lifeless now that it was happening.

At the back of her mind, she couldn't help but feel terribly guilty for ruining their so-called first date. If that weren't enough, her mind just had to paint her the possibility that she might have ruined whatever chance there was between them. _Kami-sama, she was so pathetic._

When they reached her inn, Temari turned towards her companion and bowed slightly, offering a hushed phrase of gratitude. She didn't bother looking up at Shikamaru, as she didn't want to see the disappointment and frustration that she was sure were deeply set in his eyes.

* * *

When the front door slid with such lethargy and carelessness, Yoshino knew that something was wrong. She had learned how to determine her late husband's and her son's moods just by how they slid the door close over the years, and it helped her steer the conversation she would undoubtedly have with them.

After spotting the manner of how Shikamaru closed the door, a slight worry took place within her chest. Yoshino knew well that Temari had arrived today, and that her son would be spending every waking hour with her. The elder Nara actually expected a little more pomp and vigour when Shikamaru slid the door shut.

For once, she was a little apprehensive in breaching the topic of Temari, but she pressed on anyways. Yoshino walked out of the living room to the foyer of their house to see Shikamaru lazily doffing his shinobi sandals. "Something the matter?"

The jounin deliberated whether to tell his mother of his insights or not, and talking to Kaa-san emerged as the viable choice. "It didn't really go well."

"How so? Did you get into a fight? A misunderstanding? Is there something wrong in Suna? What was it?" the mother couldn't help but inquire.

"No, no. Nothing like that," Shikamaru sighed. "It's just that all day she seemed so distant…and very quiet. It's like she didn't want anything to do with me."

"Was she like that when she arrived or did it happen after meeting you at the gates?"

Shikamaru hung his flak jacket in the closet by the foyer and stepped into the living room. "Well, she already seemed like she was in a foul mood when she arrived."

Yoshino looked up at her son and raised her brow. "It seems that she is having an internal conflict; of what about, we do not know. I'm pretty sure her distant demeanour has nothing to do with you. Besides, do you think Temari is the type to subject herself to your company if she really didn't want it?"

"Not really. And it's not like I can force her into doing something she doesn't want to do," the Nara clan head thought out loud.

The mother patted her son's cheek affectionately. "There you go. She didn't _not_ want to do anything with you. All these years of friendship…don't tell me it's the first time she has acted this way towards you?"

Shikamaru's silence was the only confirmation she needed.

A few more beats passed and Shikamaru spoke. "I just wish she told me what was bothering her. I mean she used to do that before."

"Shikamaru, listen. She may have shared her thoughts to you in the past because she was comfortable in doing so. Now may not be a similar situation," Yoshino reasoned.

"But why? It's not like I'll suddenly change my attitude towards her just because we were on a date this evening."

"Let me put it this way. All those things she shared with you before, I am willing to bet that all of them were about her own self or about people and happenings around her. Maybe this time, she's having a little introspection regarding the two of you _together_ …like she's testing the waters or whatnot," the female Nara hummed. "Would you have so openly shared with her the thoughts that you shared with me a few weeks ago?"

The young man shook his head.

"See. It's all a matter of psychology and behaviour. You just need to be a little more understanding of her, like how understanding she is with you," Yoshino nodded. "And don't even tell me that the girl's patience and commitment towards your friendship is something trivial."

"I know they're not. She's anything but," Shikamaru nodded.

A reassuring smile appeared on Yoshino's face and the mother actually let herself sigh in relief. "Good; continue holding her in that regard, my fawn. Maybe just count this little date as a springboard, just to kick things off. She'll be around again before you know it. Just relax and be determined that the next date will go much, much smoother and more enjoyable for the both of you."

The words his mother uttered rocked him to a standstill and the determined look on his face fell.

Narrowing her eyes, Yoshino retracted her tender grip on her son and crossed her arms. She looked at her son critically. "You did ask her on a second date, right, Shikamaru?"

The clan head in question could only stare at his mother blankly, as his mind replayed the course of the short evening only to confirm that _no, he didn't ask her out on a second date_.

Yoshino huffed in exasperation and rolled her eyes heaven-ward. "Kami-sama, how did I raise such a bumbling, moronic genius?

"When does Temari leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, most likely before normal breakfast times," Shikamaru sighed.

Yoshino beamed and nodded. "There's your prayer answered."

"Right, I can do that. I plan on escorting her to the gates anyway. I can ask her then."

"Better yet," his mother hummed. "Take her to breakfast."

The jounin shook his head. "She wouldn't agree; she doesn't like spending time away from Suna any more than necessary."

"Have her bring some food. I can wake up early and make her—"

"No! What am I, a school boy giving his crush food that his mother made? No offence, Kaa-san, but I'd rather she enjoys your cooking here over dinner. I'll just get her bread or something."

* * *

For what seemed like the hundredth time already, Temari rolled to the side and clutched the pillow she embraced closer to herself. Sleep would not come to her even after such a day of mind-taxing meetings and planning regarding the first Chuunin exam after the war.

Her body finally felt the fatigue as soon as her back hit the futon, but her overthinking mind wouldn't let her slumber just yet. Instead, it replayed the events of the evening after the Chuunin exams meeting, much to her dismay. She just couldn't believe that her date with Shikamaru went the way it did, and she lamented that it probably would be the only date she would ever have with him.

Besides, what man would want a repeat of sharing a meal with a troublesome person such as herself, who pushed away his gentle advances and disappointingly shut down his attempts at having conversation. Even if she couldn't help but be such dry and stale company that evening due to her sodding hormones, Shikamaru still dined with _Temari_ and she was sure he didn't find _Temari_ —even if this was the hormone-addled Temari—a worthwhile date anymore.

The Suna Princess groaned sharply and lengthily into the cushiony pillow, as she thought over the situation once more. If a Yamanaka (whether it was her friend or otherwise) would do a little mind walk in her brain at the moment, said Yamanaka would probably write a recommendation letter addressed to an asylum. After all, referring to oneself in third person certainly wasn't normal.

Even if it didn't seem so, Temari actually enjoyed Shikamaru's company that evening. At least two things made themselves clear to her on top of it all. One was that Shikamaru was still the same as ever; he was still the best friend she had come to care about, and he still treated her the same way he had done so in the past. Such implied that there was no awkwardness even if there were proverbial things on the proverbial table that they eventually needed to talk about.

The other was that Shikamaru's distance to her that morning wasn't because he didn't care. The newly promoted jounin gave herself the space because he figured she needed it, after seeing her sour disposition upon her arrival. Temari had determined it so when he asked the question _'Have you calmed down now?'_ first thing after everybody had left the conference room.

These were two important things that she had come to realise in a span of two hours. They were assuring things that placate her ever-growing unease the longer they dragged their confusing predicament. Then again, valuable realisations they may be, she still didn't know where she stood in his life, nor where he stood in hers.

 _Just to what extent do they feel for the other? Does he really feel the same way?_

Feeling her mind reel at the endless barrage of questions it asks itself, Temari closed her eyes and laid still on the futon. She decided silently that such matters weren't too emergent that they needed to be solved now. The Suna Princess determined that situations like this would need to take their time in unravelling, and that rushing everything would only lead to unpleasant outcomes. Eventually, she fell asleep with the thought that she could always continue to think about _him_ and their situation tomorrow.

 _Maybe she could get around to asking him out, if he figured she really wasn't worth his time._

* * *

"This habit of taking off before having breakfast really can't be that great, you know," the voice from behind her muttered lazily.

The ambassadress didn't jump nor was she startled. In fact, she had already half-expected him to be waiting outside her inn, as he usually does whenever she was leaving for home. Temari began to walk, knowing Shikamaru would follow.

"It's nothing you should concern yourself over. I'll just have some food over at the next village, like I have always been doing," the blonde mumbled with a shrug, continuing to walk until they reached the village gates. Temari followed protocol, and sensed Shikamaru trailed after her even as she went past Konoha's gates.

"Here."

Temari paused and turned on her heel to see Shikamaru holding a white takeaway bag towards her direction. She cocked her head to the side and blinked up at him. "What's this?"

Shikamaru palmed his slicked back hair and shrugged. "Steamed pork buns from the breakfast place near my clan's estate. It's not too much that it'll be a burden to finish, but not too few that it wouldn't tide you over."

Her gaze fell on his outstretched hand that bore the takeaway bag. While she didn't reject his offer, she felt compelled to ask, "Why?"

"The next village is three hours by walking or two hours by sprinting. If your last meal was the dinner we had, then it would leave you 12 hours without food. Hardly healthful," he mumbled.

Shikamaru pressed the bag into her hands, and Temari was surprised at how invitingly warm it felt in hers. She took a peek inside the bag and found three pieces of pork buns cooked to perfection. They smelt absolutely heavenly.

Suddenly, the warmth seemed to travel from their place on her hands to the whole of her being. Her chest felt full at Shikamaru's thoughtful gesture that she couldn't help but grin up at him endearingly. Temari dipped her hand into the bag and procured one bun, taking a bite off it.

"Oishii ne…" she hummed, delighted, as she swallowed before putting the bun back inside. Temari stepped a little closer to him and grabbed his hand, squeezing firmly. "Thank you, Shikamaru."

All of a sudden, the Nara clan head felt self-conscious at the gesture but he tried not to let it show even if he felt sweat budding by his hairline. "Yeah, it's…ah, it's no problem. Have a safe journey home."

Even as she retracted her hand, the warmth of his seemed to still linger upon her skin. "Try not to miss me too much."

"Tell that to yourself," he smirked, glad that they were now back to their usual banter.

Her beautiful teal eyes rolled and Temari spun on her heel. "Well, I'll be going now, crybaby. Try not to slack off, all right?"

Shikamaru watched as her back faced him once more. He took a deep breath and gently grabbed her wrist. "Can, uh, can we grab another meal together the next time you're around?"

Temari's breath caught in her throat as he suddenly was close to her, very much within her personal space. It wasn't that it was unwelcome; she was just a little startled. Like most of her smiles concerning him, she couldn't help the one that formed on her lips at his question. "Of course. I'll be looking forward to it."

His whole body seemed to relax at her agreement, and Shikamaru gave her wrist a gentle squeeze before letting go. "Likewise. I'll see you then."

"You shall." Before she could say anything else, Temari started on her journey homeward. The blonde ambassadress was afraid that if she stayed any minute longer, he would feel the quickening of her pulse at the outcome of their short conversation.

Temari clutched the takeaway bag a little tighter, and her right hand caressed the opposite wrist which he had touched not a few minutes ago. It was ridiculous how much of an impact he could have on her through such a small gesture. Vaguely, she wonders how her poor heart would take it if they ever did decide to really cultivate this _something_ between them.

From where he stood, Shikamaru felt like he wouldn't be able to stay upright any longer so he dashed toward the nearest tree and leaned almost all of his body weight on it. The jounin released a huge breath he didn't realise he was holding and clutched the hand she squeezed close to his chest.

The path and the thick forest before him swirled into a hazy mixture of browns and greens and he went over the last bits of their exchange. At the moment, it was beyond the capabilities of his mind to comprehend what had just happened but his chest sang at the reality and the prospect of everything that concerned Temari. Shikamaru had to close his eyes to keep the world from spinning and he took huge gulps of air to ease the delightful constriction in his lungs.

 _Were they in love with each other like everybody thought they were?_

It was the question that constantly rang in each of their minds, and the halves of the pair indulged themselves in a bright, wide smile as their identical answer geared towards the affirmative side of the spectrum.

 _They most possibly were._

* * *

A/N: I had a lot of fun writing Yoshino! I originally planned for Ino to give the pep talk but the depth of the statements could only befit a character who has had first-hand experience of the matters at hand. Besides, you can't tell me Shikamaru and his mother didn't become closer than ever after the war! I hoped you enjoyed this installation as much as I did creating it. Thank you for all the faves, the reviews, the follows! I will see you all in the next one!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello! The 43rd Boruto episode inspired me to create this a week earlier than I had planned. Imagine, though. We had to wait for 40 episodes before we got a glimpse of Mama Temari again! Goodness gracious. Longer author's note at the bottom, but read through the story first!

Tairitsu no In - Seal of Confrontation; used to concentrate chakra

takoyaki - ball-shaped snack

tamago - egg

onsen - hot springs

onigiri - rice ball

Gokage - Five kage

Meshi iku ga? - Wanna get some food?; as said by Shikamaru in the last few episodes of Shippuden  
donburi - rice bowl

* * *

More the once did the sand get into his eyes yet the Kazekage merely blinked them away. Any Sunagakure native was already used to the stinging, pinprick sensations in their eyes that accompany almost any blowing gust of wind. Nevertheless, Gaara wiped them away to distract himself from the growing worry in his chest. Finally, the one whom he has been waiting for arrived behind him just as the person promised.

"What's so urgent that we needed to talk about it in our hiding spot, little brother?" Kankurou asked, sitting down on one of the sandstone benches in their parents' mausoleum. "You've got the whole tower scrambling for you but I told them I'll bring you back."

"Sorry about that…" Gaara hummed, turning around to face his older brother.

"So, what's up?"

The young Kazekage sighed softly and sat on the bench opposite Kankurou. "One of my greatest worries is coming into fruition, Aniue. I really had hoped that it wouldn't, but I suppose nothing will ever really go according to one's wishes or plans."

"Right, you're going to have to stop sounding cryptic, Gaara," the puppet master sighed.

The young man in question crossed his arms. "I have received post from different villages both in and out of the Wind Country containing intent to ask for Aneue's hand in marriage."

Kankurou blinked at his younger brother. "I don't really think that's a cause for worry. Anego wouldn't ever agree to marrying a stranger. She's way too independent for that. Besides, it's taking her too long to even realise her own feelings, what makes you think she'll do a political wedding?"

"But you know how she is, Aniue. I mean she puts service far too much above herself that I'm afraid she'll go for it just to keep the council from hassling either of us," Gaara pointed out softly.

"I guess that's true. Anego just might do drastic things to shut the council up," the older brother responded after a quick contemplation. "What if a proposal comes in, brought in by a council member, though?"

The Kazekage sighed a little and closed his eyes. "I have thought of such matter happening, and it would be wise to anticipate it…which is why we need to devise something soon to prevent a political marriage for Aneue."

"Will it involve a certain genius shadow boy?"

"You told me we can't meddle," Gaara reminded him.

"Well," Kankurou started, a small smirk appearing on his face. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess."

Humming, Gaara frowned at the prospect. "Somehow that makes me uncomfortable now. They just might move away from each other instead of moving towards each other."

"We'll cross the bridge when we get there, I suppose. By the way, would it be wise to tell Anego about this?"

"Probably not at the moment, no."

The middle Sand sibling nodded. "All right. When does she arrive, though?"

"This evening, if nothing has delayed her. It makes me feel bad that I have to send her back to Konoha again the day after tomorrow," Gaara mused softly.

Kankurou rolled his eyes slightly and scoffed a little. "Trust me, little brother. I think she would appreciate it more than she would let on. Going to Konoha is one of the things she doesn't mind doing over and over again."

His older brother's statement made Gaara silent, thinking over the matter. "Do you really think they'd get to that point?"

"Have a little faith, Gaara. Even Yoshino-san is rooting for them. If someone can light a fire under Shikamaru's arse aside from Anego, it would be his mother," the puppet master smirked.

"I really hope you're right, Aniue," the young Kazekage hummed. "Things would be a little easier if they were already to marry each other. We can at least sway the council towards the political benefits of a marriage between Suna and Konoha, even if I wouldn't want to see it that way."

"Maybe it would help if we extend our patience just a little bit," Kankurou shrugged. "If we're too eager, we just might be driven to the walls even if we aren't directly affected by their situation."

"Aa," Gaara agreed. "I just want her to be happy. She has done so much for us, and continues to do so."

Stretching, the older brother yawned and then hummed. "That is true. This is the least we can do for her as her younger brothers."

* * *

Contrary to what Gaara had predicted, Temari arrived in Sunagakure just an hour shy of lunch time. The Kazekage and his advisor-brother barely hid their surprise. It seemed as if the ambassadress practically sprinted through the forest and the Demon Desert if she could cut her trip shorter to two and a half days.

"Here are the minutes of the first meeting," Temari said, laying a scroll on Gaara's table. "They gave us two months to fill up the roster for exam candidates, but luckily I have already done that so I can go back whenever. The next meeting would be two months from now, and they want me to create the semantics for some portions of the exam."

"Thank you for your hard work, Aneue," Gaara said softly, his eyes smiling discreetly. "And I have to apologise and thank you in advance because I need to send you to Konoha once more the day after tomorrow."

"Anytime, kozou. It's no problem at all," she replied cheerfully, eyes glinting with happiness and grin very much in place on her lips.

The reaction surprised both her younger brothers, and they struggled to contain their shock.

"You seem happy," Kankurou noted, sincere and without a hint of sarcasm or teasing.

Temari turned on her heel. "It's because I am."

The ambassadress' younger brothers felt their jaw slack and eyes widen at such revelation. They could only stare at her retreating back in silence, unable to comprehend what had just happened. After all, rarely was Temari ever so casual or candid with her feelings.

"Well, I'll be damned," Kankurou muttered as soon as he regained a bit of his bearings. "Things are going smoother than we initially anticipated, it seems."

"I-I…yeah," the Kazekage lamely replied.

The puppet master chuckled at his younger brother's flabbergasted state, and his chuckle soon turned into a full-blown laughter. Kankurou slapped the top of Gaara's chair and shook his head. "Ah, this is such great development, kozou! We're gaining a brother soon; I can almost taste it."

The young Kazekage allowed himself a smile, fingers tapping the scroll that laid before him. "Seems to be that way. I'm glad."

"So am I, little brother. So am I."

* * *

At the other side of the door, Temari paused and took a breath. It was both terrifying and liberating to reveal such emotions to her brothers. Not only was it uncharacteristic of her to do so, but saying it out loud made the feeling more real and more tangible than the warm flutters in her chest. Then again, these were her brothers. Two of the most important people in her life, and she trusted them without a semblance of doubt.

A part of her wanted to berate herself for letting sentiments get the better of her. After all, it was an intense emotional training that they had to go through when they were starting out as shinobi. However, she batted away at that part of her since she now knows that emotions were strengths and not weaknesses, even if they were extremely confusing sometimes.

Temari looked from one side to another, seeing the workers of the Kazekage tower bustling about the hallway. Suddenly, the weight of her responsibilities to her village bore upon her shoulders, and the carefree disposition she had following her trip to Konoha was becoming muted by the minute.

Sighing, she merely let her feet lead her towards the direction her subconscious wanted her to go. The Suna Princess barely registered the polite greetings of the shinobi who noticed her, and she was sure she had hummed or mumbled out a reply like a robot conditioned to respond.

It wasn't long before she felt the heat of the desert sun blaring upon her skin. Temari squinted her eyes as she gazed up toward the sandy hill behind the village, focusing her gaze in one direction only. With grace and fluidity that she has refined over the years, the ambassadress leaped up the top of the Kazekage tower before she made her way to the northernmost direction, leaping from one roof to another.

Her little sprint to the hill almost reclaimed that untroubled feeling, as the jounin never felt more alive than having the sun practically scorch the whole of her being. A small smile found its way on her lips once more as she neared the object of her gaze, the familiar and obscured trail almost embracing her in a heart-warming way.

Wiping the trails of sweat that dripped down her face, she took a few gulps of desert air before undoing the jutsu that concealed the place from an outsider's view. She stepped in and placed the concealment back, before she sat herself down between the two tombstones at the centre of the mausoleum.

It was a recently acquired habit among her and her brothers, that they would seek the solace of their long-gone parents whenever they needed the time and place to think. It was true that they had an atypical childhood following their mother's death but the Suna no Sankyodai had long made peace with their past.

Tucking her legs beneath her, she laid a hand on her mother's headstone, feeling the smoothness of the sculpture underneath her palms. Temari closed her eyes and let out a long, steady breath. A tiny prickle of loneliness engulfed her and she let herself submit to the emotion for the moment.

"I really, really wish you're right here right now, Kaa-san," she whispered to the room. "If only to tell me the things I need to hear."

While she can never fault her youngest brother for being born into the world, it still pained her occasionally that she lost a mother because of that situation. If only Karura had survived that ordeal, their father wouldn't have turned into a depressed man who couldn't save himself from the agony of grief. They would have had a better childhood and a happier home life for the majority of their younger years.

Alas, it was a reality she would never meet. No matter how much she had fantasised over it, even her mind wouldn't permit itself to conjure such dreams while she slept. Shaking her head gently, Temari willed away the perilous thoughts of what-could-have-been and brought herself back to reality.

"What do I do, Kaa-san?" she whispered to the atmosphere once more. _I think I love him but I don't know if it's wise to let myself love him._

On one hand, she plays a big role in the governance of Sunagakure as well as its diplomatic affairs. On the other, she wished to pursue this potential with Shikamaru because it makes her happy and she knew that having something between them would make her happier. However, the logical part of her mind constantly points out that it's a little selfish to let herself indulge in such pursuits, especially since her brothers were committed to the welfare of the village.

She had a part to play, and Temari feared that she wouldn't be able to fulfil her duty to her village if she were to prioritise a relationship with a foreigner the way she prioritised her obligations to her village. Should she be faced with the decision of choosing between being with Shikamaru and serving Suna, Temari knew that she would break her own heart if it were for the benefit of their people.

At the back of her mind, she envied the relationship her parents had with each other. Her mother grew up alongside her father. They had known each other since they were little, and had grown close until their eventual union. Not only was her mother a Suna native, she was also a member of the Kazekage clan so it practically was a smooth marriage.

How on Earth she ended up falling for a man whom not only was a foreigner, but also her former adversary—a former enemy whom she needed to defeat in order to crush his own village—she would never know. It was as if the universe sprinkled a healthy dose of irony in her life.

While she felt sour at her current predicament, she couldn't exactly say that she regretted being in it. How could she regret the only friend who fought tooth and nail with her once, constantly annoyed her but always made sure she was having a good time while working? On top of that, how could she regret meeting the only person (aside from her brothers) who tries very hard to put a smile on her face? Whether Shikamaru did it deliberately or not, the truth remained.

Gone were her intense doubts regarding her feelings for him, but they were replaced by contemplations on how they were going to make it work given the roles they play in their respective villages. She was Suna's lead diplomat, and he Konoha's lead strategist. Nevermind the fact that she belonged to the ruling clan of her village, and he was the Hokage's advisor and his own clan's patriarch.

Could they really meet halfway amidst all these complications that seemed to keep their 3-day distance intact?

After a while of wallowing, Temari finally had had enough of the self-pity party she had created. She frowned at the tombstones, sorry and slightly ashamed for subjecting the memory of her parents to such display of weakness. The circumstances in her life had allowed her to become the strong-willed person she is now, and there was absolutely no use in spending copious amounts of time just sitting and grieving for things uncontrollable.

Running a hand down her face, Temari stood and brushed the sand from her skirt and legs. Her eyes came across the wedding picture of her parents that sat on the shelf above their graves. Her mother looked like she was very blissful at the time the portrait was taken, whilst her father looked genuinely happy—which was a rare sight on the stern Rasa. Suddenly, she felt her heart crave for such happiness, for a love like theirs, even if she were a witness to it for only a short period of time.

The jounin turned towards the high metal gate of the mausoleum and held her chin up. She had already spent so much time gazing at the ground that her spirits felt a little lifted when she followed the gaze of her pointed nose.

She was the daughter of the fearsome Yondaime Kazekage who didn't hesitate to pull extreme measures to save their village from extinction, and the daughter of a strong kunoichi whose powers extended to her brother even after her death. Temari was not to be swayed by discouraging realities. If she wanted a something, she was going to do anything to get it.

Her fists clenched at her sides and her brows knotted at the centre in determination. It was at that moment that she realised she didn't need her mother to be alive to tell her the things that she needed to hear. It wasn't that she did not miss the gentle embrace of her loving mother, it was just that she knew Karura had faith in her to answer the questions she had for herself, by herself.

Else, the universe wouldn't have snuffed out Karura's life so early on in her and her brother's lives.

* * *

Half an hour after she left Shikamaru standing in the middle of an alleyway did she only realise the gale her chakra had summoned with every step that she took. Temari paused at a side road and concentrated while she weaved a Tairitsu no In. Soon, the gusts of wind that had the people alarmed were halted. Her chakra stilled, following her whims.

It didn't even occur to her that she had been causing such great disturbances in the atmosphere following the tremendous embarrassment she had felt that evening. When she was satisfied with the serenity of the night once more, Temari sprinted towards her inn and gathered her belongings, leaving Konoha in the dark of the night.

Her stomach growled as the hunger finally caught up with her as she reached the Fire village's gates. The two guards were kind enough not to ask questions even if their curious eyes were very much obvious. Her handwriting was scrawled quickly before she disappeared into the thick greens that surrounded Konoha.

By the time she reached the next village, her head was light from sprinting on an empty stomach. Temari scoured the small village plaza and luckily found a kiosk that sold deep fried squid and takoyaki. Her hunger became a little more potent when she smelt the food so she forced herself to eat the snacks even if it meant scalding her tongue. Her burnt skin would at least be a diversion enough from the events of the previous hours.

A messenger hawk found her so suddenly and she untied the small piece of paper to read the contents.

 _Aneue,_

 _I hope everything is all right on your end and that your liaison task went without inconvenience. We will be having a Gokage meeting in Konoha in a few days, and I would like you and Aniue to accompany me. However, I know that you have been back and forth Konoha a few times already so I request you just wait for us there in the village. We will be sending another missive a few hours before leaving Suna. Please utilise the hawk to respond once you've received this message. Thank you._

 _-Gaara_

Sighing, she tore a small piece of scroll to respond to her brother as the hawk waited. Temari had assured him that her task has been attended to, and that she'll meet them in Takumi Village instead of waiting in Konoha. The jounin decided not to state a reason, but she hoped her brothers would just assume that she was on her way back.

Even though a request from her youngest brother meant that it was a request from the Kazekage, she simply couldn't honour it at the moment given _certain_ circumstances. Besides, she'd rather pass time in the small village instead of wasting energy to go back to Konoha. It felt as if she had had enough of the Fire Country's shinobi village at the moment.

It took her almost no time to book a room for the next few days. She had the mind to include the details of her accommodation in her response to Gaara's message, so they wouldn't unnecessarily waste time looking for each other should the time come. Once she settled on the provided futon, Temari closed her eyes in hope of catching some much-needed sleep.

She'll think about what had happened in Konoha's Onsen district and decide what to do about it the next day. After all, she suddenly had some time to herself to resolve the newfound conflicts. _We haven't explicitly talked about anything yet, but it's already getting more complicated than I anticipated_ , she thought bitterly before submitting herself to slumber.

The next time that her eyes popped open, her first thought was that she had slept through the whole day of the next day. Temari groaned at the dull pressure behind her eyes when she strained them to look at the digital clock that was placed beside the door. When she realised the truth of her situation, she threw her covers over her face and clenched her eyes shut.

It seemed that she had woken two hours after midnight, after getting only four hours of sleep. It certainly wasn't the rest that she had in mind. The kunoichi debated whether she should just get up and take a walk, but she figured it would liven her blood more instead of calming it down. So, she opted to stay under the warm duvet, hoping fervently for sleep to come and take her once more.

In accordance with the multitude of ironies that the universe has thrown her way thus far, sleep did not come. Temari had been resigned to the fact when the clock struck three in the morning, but she was stubborn to admit that four hours would be the only length of sleep she will have that evening. Anyways, she had the luxury to take a nap later in the day since she would only be killing time for the next two days or so.

Sighing, she stood to get herself ready for the day and stepped out to the village not long after. Temari found a teahouse that was open in the wee hours of the morning. Although it was occupied by several drunken groups, she found it no issue as she could very well defend herself should an altercation ensue.

 _Well, here I am. Awake. Alone. Nothing to do_ , she thought inwardly, as she fiddled with the teacup idly. The jounin knew that the reason she couldn't stay sleeping was that her mind was far too occupied by the thoughts that she tries hard to push to the back burner. There was no use delaying the introspection, especially since feeling confused and uncertain about a major matter in her life.

Truth be told, she just wanted the perplexity to pass and jump into the good stuff. _If there still were any good stuff waiting_ … The jounin did not know how her thoughts of the days previous occupied her mind too much when she had that conversation with Shikamaru regarding the whole honeymoon fiasco.

Even as she tried to convince herself that it was his fault to not mention that it was a goddamn _gift_ instead of something meant for the two of them, it was her responsibility to clarify the matter with the Nara clan head. Thinking about it now, Shikamaru would never have propositioned her in such a crude way especially since they haven't defined what it is they wanted to do with each other yet.

Clenching her eyes shut, she sucked in a sharp breath as her mind conjured up the possible implications of her ill-fated second date with the Hokage advisor. Three points came up: a) Shikamaru might think that she only wanted him for one thing; b) Shikamaru might think of her obnoxious and obsessive for thinking of the two of them already so far down the road of togetherness; and c) Shikamaru might find her troublesome now—and actually _mean_ it— since she kept on jinxing opportunities to talk about their situation.

"Suddenly, dealing with and defining all those confusing emotions seem easier," she muttered to herself before taking a pause. " _Oh kami-sama_ , I am doing it again."

"Doing what again?" asked a voice that was suddenly in front of her.

Temari was about to grab her Tessen but the familiar face cleared in her vision and she let out a small breath of relief. "I could've smacked you and not realise it, Ino. Mattaku."

The Yamanaka chuckled and sat back crossing her arms. "That would've been quite the scene."

"What are you doing here?"

"I am on a mission. This village requested a medical ninja who's knowledgeable about medicinal herbs so Kakashi-sensei sent me here for today. The lab that asked for me isn't open yet so I figured I'd grab breakfast first."

"Hm."

"What's wrong, Temari?" Ino asked, concerned about her fellow blonde friend. "Do I need to be knocking sense into Shikamaru?"

Teal eyes snapped upwards to meet pale green ones and the ambassadress shook her head. "No. I'm the one who keeps messing things up, Ino."

The mind-reader's brow raised a bit at her words and tone of voice. "You?"

"Yes," Temari confirmed forlornly. "We had two dates thus far and none of them turned out the way they should have because my mind keeps on malfunctioning. The first one, I was far too hormonal to even hold a proper conversation. And this last one, I jumped to a hasty conclusion that made things awkward between us."

Ino rested her elbows on the table and steepled her fingers under her chin. "Then what happened?"

"Then I bolted in the middle of the night and arrived here."

The Yamanaka's eyes widened and blinked up at her, and Temari felt self-conscious all of a sudden. "And what did Shikamaru say?"

"I don't know; I didn't stay long for that bit," she whispered, a small pout upon her lips.

"Wait, I am lost."

The Suna Princess took a gulp of breath and formulated the words so she could present the situation as vaguely as possible. "First and foremost, don't you dare do a mind read on me."

"Girls' promise," the medic swore.

"So, he and I were spending time together while he had an agenda on his mind. We had talked about it before but he wasn't exactly clear on the details so I misinterpreted the whole thing. Let's just say that when I realised what really was happening, I left him in the middle of the street. For a while, I could feel him chase after me, but it seemed that he got held up by a crowd or something. And then I grabbed my things and just went," Temari shrugged.

The silence after her hazy explanation stretched to a full minute and the Wind mistress shifted in her seat several times in discomfort.

"I really, really don't know what to say, Temari," Ino mumbled softly. "It seems like you're both at fault here."

Huffing, the jounin in question picked up her chopsticks and haphazardly pulled them apart. "I know that already. It's just that…this disaster is a bit of a delicate matter, and I want to apologise but I don't exactly know how."

"You don't know how to apologise or you don't know how to phrase your apology?" the Yamanaka jibed and got a deadpan look in return. "Just trying to lighten up the mood is all."

Temari shook her head and frowned. "I don't…I don't know if he will, uh…"

A smirk tugged at the corners of Ino's lips. "You don't know if he will hear you out?"

Shrugging, the ambassadress began to eat her tamago.

Light blue eyes rolled towards the ceiling. "This is Shikamaru we're talking about. He'll always hear you out. We're talking about a guy—an extremely lazy guy—who wakes up far earlier than his usual to constantly greet you at and escort you to the village gates even if you already know the way. Trust me, he won't be so easily swayed to the other direction."

Temari hoped fervently that what her friend said was true.

* * *

Shikamaru waited outside her inn the morning after their little onsen fiasco. The jounin gazed inside one of the windows to look for a clock and saw that it was almost seven in the morning, more than half an hour after Temari usually leaves the village for Suna. He had been waiting for an hour already so he was sure he didn't miss her departure. _Unless…_

The Nara clan head frowned and resigned to wait for a few minutes more before doing anything drastic. Maybe she was just tired and decided to sleep some more, or maybe she just didn't need to leave the village. After all, the Chuunin exams were in its preparatory stages so it would be more logical for her to remain in the village while structuring the exams.

As soon as the inn owner stepped outside the small building, Shikamaru approached the elderly woman and asked of the Suna Princess' whereabouts only to be disappointed and surprised at the same time. It seemed that Temari had taken off last night, and in a hurried fashion, as the owner so described.

Frowning, he turned on his heel and procured one of the onigiri from the breakfast bag he was going to give her. Shikamaru walked back to the Nara estate, dragging his feet along the whole way. Once he arrived home, his house was empty so he just decided to sleep the day off, since he had no other duties to attend to that day.

It was two hours after lunch when he came to. He huffed as he stood from his bed, patting his stomach as it ragingly growled at him for something to fill it up. Shikamaru trudged down the stairs and was thankful that he was greeted by the sight of his mother working about in the kitchen.

"Didn't know you were going to arrive today," he mumbled sluggishly.

Yoshino almost jumped at his lazy voice and she smiled at her son before going back to work. "Well, the negotiations with the Mikiko family didn't take much time to be settled, so there was no need to hang around longer than necessary. Do you want food?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"How did your date with Temari go?"

"How did you know we had a date?"

"I saw her name logged in the gate records when I left the village. I assumed you'd be taking her out again since you rarely see each other given your responsibilities," his mother hummed.

Shikamaru plopped himself down on the dining table and huffed. "Didn't go well. I made her misunderstand something, and then made her uncomfortable."

"Did you at least apologise, Shikamaru?"

"Well, I-I…didn't get to that part. I was running after her but then I got held up by Maen-san and Ensui-san about some clan matters. I was going to do it this morning since I know that she'll be leaving for Suna again today, but it seemed she left the village in a hurry last night," he explained.

Yoshino turned around, about to scold him, but he looked far too crestfallen already that the mother couldn't bare adding insult to her son's injury. "I see. Well, do you have any idea if she will be back soon? You should write her a letter if she won't be."

"The Gokage meeting should be in a few days. Gaara always has her and Kankurou for escorts."

"Make sure you really clarify things with her this time around. Be direct, state your intentions, and it's either all or nothing. You can't drag this any longer, Shikamaru," Yoshino stated.

"I know," the jounin replied, half-glad that his mother didn't ask about the details of said disaster date. Shikamaru just knew that if she did, Yoshino would be hanging him by his hair.

* * *

Before she knew it, two days had passed and her brothers had already arrived in Takumi Village. Such time had passed so quickly that she didn't have the time for some much-needed contemplation. Heck, she didn't even see Ino after they parted, which was a shame because she needed another brain to pick her own.

"Aneue, are you all right?" her youngest sibling asked, looking at her with pale green eyes.

"Yes. Why ask?" she replied, hoping she could sweep any and all emotion on her face under a hypothetical rug.

"Nothing," Gaara hummed, regarding her critically one last time before they made their way down the path to Konoha.

After a few days of exploring the small Takumi Village, she was glad to have some time with herself confined within one of the guest rooms of the Hokage Tower whilst her brothers were out and about Konoha. She didn't wish to socialise today, even if she had friends of her own aside from that certain Nara patriarch.

However, by the end of the day, she felt a little constricted within the four walls of the guest room with portraits of the five former Hokage and one current Hokage staring down at her whilst she took a nap. Temari sat up and sighed, deciding to just take a quick walk by the river, decidedly far from a _certain_ estate.

Little does she know that Shikamaru had been scouring all over the village for her ever since he heard the news that the Sand siblings have arrived in the village.

The road that she took was a bit of a tourist spot. There were displays of food, trinkets, and Leaf souvenirs that ranged from simple to the most peculiar. Her attention, though, was not was not on the colourful kiosks and aromatic cuisine. They seemed to be towards the many couples who flocked to the small plaza…which had her a little annoyed.

And so, she took an exit towards a small path that led to the Naka river. Wanting to avoid romantic reminders that point out what she had been avoiding to think about thus far, Temari kept her head down a bit and just watched the road before her as she placed one foot in front of the other.

"Yo," a familiar voice startled her out of her comfortable bubble and her head popped up to reveal the shinobi she'd been avoiding. Temari stilled. She felt like a deer caught frolicking about in the prairie and she was unable to hide her gasp. When she was surprised about her own shock, she clamped her mouth shut and avoided her gaze.

"I'm sorry about last time," he said, sincerity in his voice.

Temari was astonished once more as she didn't really expect that he would apologise for what had happened. As far as apologies go, she knew that she was the one who owed him. So, she did her best to sound confident about her apology.

"No, I'm sorry as well," she said as she bowed her head lower and continued down her path. Somehow, she felt bad that he felt bad, and she couldn't stand the serious look on his face and the sincerity in his voice because those little details were enough to send her heart into a hurried pitter-patter. Maybe, she'll get to talking to him some other day, as she was too unprepared at the moment.

For a short while, he wanted to grin since it was his first time seeing her so elusive and a little bit embarrassed, and the jounin had to admit that she looked extremely adorable. Then, Shikamaru panicked for a second when she began walking past him and he suddenly heard his mother's voice. _It's all or nothing._ This was the golden chance to try once more to reach out to her and lay his cards on the table. He was _not_ going to pass on it. If he would have to drag her to a tea shop, he would, even if she smacked him or sent him flying to the Hokage stone faces.

"Meshi, iku ga?"

His offer made her stop, and she remembered the two times they did go for a dining out. He had tried so hard for her to have a good time, and somehow, she had mucked up both instances. Moreover, she remembered the way he asked her out. The first two times were casual, as if testing waters. This time, his voice was serious, but there was a slight waver in them as if they were full of uncertainty, tainted with a slight bit of desperation.

It was her first time to hear that tone of voice from him after a long while, after the failed outcome of his first mission as a chuunin. Temari hated hearing it; she believed that such insecurities shouldn't belong to a person of his great calibre. It was why she tried her best to pick him up whenever she felt that Shikamaru was sinking downwards. Now that they were here, though, it seemed as if she was the one undoing her own hard work.

 _Screw it. Screw being prepared. I'm winging it._

"Might as well…" she replied gently after she allowed herself a small smile. Temari could also feel her cheeks flush slightly, but she had nary a concern about that fact. The Wind jounin took a small breath and turned on her heel to face him.

The Hokage advisor couldn't describe the weight of the relief that washed over him. It was like there was a strong pressure upon his chest that was released, and Shikamaru couldn't be more thankful that she had agreed to his offer. He wouldn't have known what to do if she had refused him.

Shikamaru felt his jaw starting to drop but he caught it in time when Temari turned to face him. He wasn't sure if it were because of the radiant light of the sunset that coloured the mood, but she looked absolutely beautiful with a faint blush on her cheeks and a soft smile upon her tinted lips. The Nara clan head silently took a breath and stepped forward, offering his arm for her to take. "I am thinking donburi for dinner, if that's all right with you?"

"Lead the way," she replied, delighted. Temari couldn't help but note how warm he was to her touch.

The pair walked in comfortable silence, and they were both grateful for it. After two dates that didn't exactly go as smoothly as they had hoped, a semblance of serenity was something to be thankful for already. That, and they were trying very hard to calm their chakra so they wouldn't stir up a hurricane or conjure shadow tendrils out of nowhere.

Their heartbeats were a different story, however.

When they did arrive in the restaurant that Shikamaru had picked, Temari had noted that he still was the same person: holding the door open for her, and asking if he should pull out her chair for her or if she has it already. Shikamaru's attitude towards had always been the perfect balance between a traditional gentleman and a wise man who acknowledges a woman's independence and strength.

Tonight, she let him be the gentleman, and she felt extremely giddy at the feel of being pampered by the adorable genius.

Temari let him speak for the two of them, and he did well ordering her favoured dish. She crossed her legs and made herself comfortable, just observing him as he observed her. "I'm going to have to apologise."

"For?" he asked, a little confused at her sudden statement.

"For the first time. I tried hard not to be a buzzkill, but—"

"You had your period," he said, finishing for her. "Yeah, I kinda guessed that two hours into the meeting."

Mustering up an apologetic smile, she took another breath. "And for the last time, too. It's more my fault than yours, and I just bolted that night when I shouldn't have. Did you, uh…did you wait for me in the morning, like you usually do?"

Shikamaru held up a dismissive hand. To him, it wasn't an issue anymore (not that it ever was). He just felt extremely bad that he put her in such a delicate and embarrassing situation. "Think nothing of it, Temari. We already offered each other our apologies earlier."

"Right, okay. If you say so," she said, swallowing and nodding. "What's new with you?"

"I've been dividing my time between doing advisor work and clan work," he said. "It's much of a drag switching up schedules but it is the responsibility I took."

The Wind mistress smiled at him softly. "I'm glad you're claiming responsibility at all."

He let out a scoff, shaking his head a little and grabbing the spoon for the miso soup. "I really, really just want to nap through most of it."

"I honestly am not surprised," she mumbled, taking a sip of the house tea.

A short silence passed and Shikamaru let out a small snort. It was almost indiscernible to the ears, but her hearing was considered top-notch since sound waves travel through moving air, her specialty. "What is it?"

"Ah, nothing," he said. "I'm just thinking that it was ridiculous of me to be scared about taking you on a date when I have basically done it for years."

She blinked up at him and then smirked. "You're saying it's not exciting at all?"

"To be honest, no," Shikamaru started. "But I don't think it's a bad thing. I think it's more of a good thing than bad, really."

"We have gotten far too comfortable with each other, it seemed," Temari mused, taking her own spoon. "Now that I think about it, it was completely useless feeling apprehensive about all this happening."

The shadow user sighed lightly, looking at her with a gentle reverence in his eyes. "I know exactly what you mean. It's like this thing has been…"

"A long time coming," they said in unison, eliciting a soft round of chuckles from them both.

Their bowls were served and they said their pleasantry before meals before tucking into their dinner. Their meal was short-lived, what with both jounin unexpectedly hungry from all of the emotional anticipation that they had to go through since their last meeting.

Soon after paying for their meals, they walked leisurely by the river. They strolled with her hand tucked safely in the crook of his elbow, watching the flow of the river as it illuminated the spring moonlight. Shikamaru led them to a grassy spot on the riverside, and held her hand as she took a seat.

"When are you leaving?" he asked, scooting closer to her. Shikamaru blushed deeply when she laid her head upon the shoulder pad of his flak jacket. Temari chuckled teasingly and poked his arm.

"I asked a question," he insisted, the bright red blush never leaving his cheeks.

The Suna Princess snorted. "You're so touchy. My brothers and I are leaving tomorrow at eight. Will you meet me again? We're staying at the Tower this time."

"I have to run an errand for the clan at the same time," he informed her. "But I can meet you at seven if you want to go for breakfast before you leave."

Temari closed her eyes and smiled to herself. It was suddenly so easy being open with him, very much contradictory to what she had initially thought. Although, it probably was because they had been open to each other for years now. "I'd really like that."

Shikamaru hummed and his eyes shifted their gaze towards her direction. He observed her in silence for a while, and he couldn't help but notice how content she looked. He wasn't even sure if she were conscious of the fact that she had a small smile on her face. The jounin just knew that the dream he had conjured up in the Infinite Tsukuyomi couldn't ever surpass the satisfaction he felt at the moment.

"You've gone awfully silent," she mumbled looking up at him, a tender yet curious look in her teal eyes.

"Was just thinking about the Infinite Tsukuyomi dream I had," he hummed. "What was yours?"

Temari's lips protruded slightly as she tried to remember that certain instance from three years ago. How had such time already passed since the war? "I dreamed that my brothers were fighting over me and my opinion. Like either of them wanted to be the first to consult me with whatever trouble they had."

"Isn't that a bit redundant, though?" Shikamaru wondered out loud. "I mean, your brothers already value your opinion and advise, and they have been valuing it for years ever since Gaara took office."

Her eyes softened further as he stated a compliment for her in a way that it sounded like a universal truth. "I suppose…and I suppose I only notice it recently, probably why I dreamed about it three years ago. Maybe I didn't see it yet, then. What about your dream?"

Shikamaru took a breath before he answered. "I saw my parents bantering, as well as Kurenai scolding Asuma-sensei. Then I asked if I should bother with marriage, since it looked troublesome the way the two couples presented it. Then you agreed."

" _I_ agreed? _I_? _Me_?" she asked incredulously. It certainly came as a shock to her that she was in his dream at all. Suddenly, Temari was confused at what she was going to do with that piece of information and the situation that it implies. However, she swallowed her contemplation for now, and focused on the present.

"Yeah. It was weird," the shadow jounin ruminated. "I never thought you'd ever agree to anything being troublesome."

Her chest tightened as she suppressed the urge to point out that he clearly, clearly missed the point of her clarifying whether it was _her_ who really agreed. She could only hum in agreement.

"Hey, you want me to take you to the Tower now?" he offered. "It's a bit of a long walk from here and the streetlights go out early on this part of the village."

Temari raised her brow. "What? You afraid of the dark, Shikamaru?"

"My jutsu revolves around shadows; what do you mean?" he replied, rolling his eyes. "I just meant that it'll be a troublesome walk in the dark going back, and we can't take to the roofs because it's mostly a shinobi residential area. Their sleep'll be disturbed."

"Only you would care about sleep this much… Fine, fine. Let's head back," she hummed, standing up and dusting her wrapped skirt off. Temari was about to raise her hand, expecting that he will tuck it in his elbow once more, but his large hand suddenly wrapped around it. A fierce blush coloured her face, and she was thankful that the lights by the river were starting to go out. Else, he would've had teased her for it.

Another stretch of comfortable silence reigned over them. It was what was delighting about the kind of relationship they built prior to them taking it a notch higher. They respected each other's silence, and they knew that they needed not to always have a conversation. Moreover, they could easily sense the other's mood without them saying anything, so there were no pressing needs for confirmation or re-affirmation.

"So, this is us, huh?" he asked softly after a time.

Temari squeezed his hand gently. "Yes, this is us."

"Other people assumed there was an us even before we realised it."

"'Other people' include my brothers."

"And my mother," Shikamaru muttered, but then grinned.

Temari let out a long breath, a shudder or two squeezed in the midst of its duration.

His eyes glanced over to her direction briefly. "You all right?"

She took a breath before she nodded. "I just…Nevermind."

"Please tell me?" Shikamaru implored her gently.

"I just missed you, all right? I missed just sitting down in a tea shop and talking about things randomly, sharing stories and shenanigans. I missed just laying down on the grass and watching the clouds and thinking nothing about their shapes and what they look like. I just missed being comfortable with you, Shikamaru. And everything that happened between us after Gengo until earlier is something I don't want a repeat of. It's like we're close but worlds away because I'm afraid to ask you questions and afraid to talk with you about this even though I already made my mind up so many times over that I would. It was weird and confusing all at the same time," she finished with a slight shake of her head.

Shikamaru smirked and squeezed. "I love you. We don't need to really talk about it in detail anymore. I know we have an understanding of what we both want, and that we've already crossed that boundary already, albeit unknowingly. Actually, you saying all those things just makes things easier."

"What do you mean?"

"Means we're on the same page about us."

"You're not entirely correct about that, you know. We do need to talk about it because two villages' welfares are on the line if we mess this up. I don't want to politicise us and drag you into the dirty politics of Sunagakure, but no matter how much I try to convince myself, it will always be a topic that we should be concerned about."

Shikamaru nodded in understanding, as he had already anticipated that she would bring the matter up. "How about we cross the bridge when we get there? And just enjoy the thrill for now?"

"I am amenable to that," she agreed after a quick contemplation.

"It's too late in the evening for you to sound like a diplomat," he groaned.

"I am a diplomat," she insisted, as they turned to the main road that would lead them to the Hokage tower. "And stop ruining the mood."

Shikamaru smirked. "What mood?"

Teal eyes glared at the Nara clan head, but he merely chuckled at her expense and let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders. "People can see us."

"Yes, well, people aren't blind. Let's just say this is the long-awaited confirmation of the rumour that has been going around for years," he mused lightly.

Temari could only pout and bring her brows together to suppress the sudden outbreak of a blissful expression on her face. "Didn't know you were a fan of being in the spotlight."

"No," he insisted. "But how many dudes around here can actually say that their girlfriend's a foreigner? I mean hell, it's probably just the Shodaime Hokage who had a foreign girlfriend-turned-wife."

 _Girlfriend_. Good heavens, it was as legitimate as it sounded. Temari had to struggle wrapping her head around their current status, but she was more than thrilled that the title fell from his lips. It was like he was convinced she was his girlfriend for a long time already. (Which she probably was, given how close they were, but they were just both oblivious to the fact.)

It wasn't long before they walked up the familiar hallways of the tower, which for her part were now thankfully empty. Temari was the one who halted when they had reached their assigned guest room.

The ambassadress turned towards her _boyfriend_ and smiled up at him, in her usual fashion. "Thank you for tonight, Shikamaru. I'm…I'm glad we finally worked out our _understanding_."

His heart either skipped a beat or did two beats far too closely to each other to be even considered healthy. Either way, there was a pleasant warmth going on his chest. "Me too. I look forward to more of _us_."

"Likewise. And Shikamaru?"

"Hm?"

Temari tugged his flak jacket so that their faces were mere millimetres from each other. The little space was dense with their breaths, and she suddenly felt drowned in his chocolate-coloured eyes. Before she ran out of breath, she whispered, "I love you."

Shikamaru grinned lopsidedly and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing them closer to each other. His smile widened when he felt her own arms snake around his form. "That's great! I was afraid you didn't hear me earlier."

Her eyes rolled briefly. "I—"

"am the greatest Wind user in the whole of the Elemental Nations, and any sound that has been produced in a 4-kilometer radius will be carried by my friend the wind, towards me, no matter the circumstance," he said in a monotonous tone, quoting the little monologue she said back when they were just getting to know each other.

Her head jerked forward gently, just for her nose to bop his. "I never said 'greatest'."

"It's true anyway."

"You're so embarrassing," she grumbled, a faint blush colouring her cheeks.

"You love me anyway," Shikamaru smirked.

Temari huffed. "Kami-sama help me, but I do."

"I love you," he said once more, the words rolling off his tongue nicely. Shikamaru was sure he wouldn't ever get tired of saying them.

"Good," she bantered. "I was afraid your head would be far up the clouds for you to notice."

He pulled away slightly, a hand brushing her fringe away as his lips pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "All right. The night has gone long enough. I might not be able to meet you on time tomorrow if I don't sleep soon."

Her face exploded in warmth and she was sure it was evident on her skin, as she could feel the sensation crawl from the tips of her ears down to her collarbones. "I'll see you tomorrow, nakimushi-kun."

"Crybaby? Aw, man, c'mon. Don't use that as my pet name. Mendokuse," he groaned, a sour look on his face.

The kunoichi chuckled melodiously. "I'll think about it."

The Nara clan head pouted but didn't protest further. "I'll meet you by the second alleyway to the right of the main road."

"All right, pineapple head."

"I'm giving you a month to think about something remotely acceptable," Shikamaru grumbled, ruffling her hair to which she groaned.

"All right, all right. Just go," Temari insisted, batting his hand away. She smiled at him a last time before she let herself inside. The eldest Sand sibling was grateful her brothers seemed to already be asleep as she wouldn't have known how to deal with their teasing if they saw her this way.

Shikamaru breezed through the village rooftops with pomp in his every stride. The jounin couldn't wipe off the smile he had even if he wanted to. And for the first time in a long time, he closed the door of their home with a gentle, content slide before jogging upstairs.

Yoshino merely smiled to herself, already knowing what it meant.

* * *

"Do you have a chakra phone?" she asked as their breakfast was wrapping up.

"Chakra…" he wondered out loud. "Ah, you mean the phone that runs on chakra to enable Raiton receiver and sender towers? I think so, yeah. Why?"

Temari picked on her food for a while before answering, a little abashed that she was going to say it out loud. "I thought about it, and I want to stay communicated while we're apart. I-I mean it's not going to be a regular thing—"

"No, it's a great idea," he hummed with a soft smile. "Better expend our chakra than tire out poor messenger birds. Besides, I'd want immediate feedback."

The kunoichi was a little amazed that he was so into the idea, that she could only stuff her mouth with food and nod her head. "You seem eager."

" _Foreigner. Girlfriend_ ," he jokingly reiterated and she merely rolled her eyes at him.

"I am usually in my quarters by eight in the evening; we can talk then," Temari nodded. "Who calls first?"

Shikamaru cocked his head to the side. "Whoever gets to dial first, I suppose. If either of us isn't around to talk, we'll just leave a voice message."

"Sounds like a plan."

They walked out of the tea shop, fingers intertwined, before Temari halted at the vague view of something at the corner of her eye. "Is that…?"

Shikamaru looked briefly and then groaned, realising what she was pertaining to. "I'm not the only one with a foreigner girlfriend. Mendokuse."

Temari narrowed her eyes at him. "Really? That's your first thought? After seeing the Hokage and the Mizukage together, that's what you first thought about it?"

The Nara clan head flashed her a smug grin before pressing a kiss to her forehead. He sandwiched her face with his hands and pressed them closer, making her unwittingly pull off a goofy face. "I'll see you at Naruto's wedding?"

Pouting, she unclasped his hands and nodded. "You will, nakimushi-kun."

"Mendokusai na…"

"I love you." She grinned up at him, eyes squinting cheerfully while her lips parted revealing that cheeky, toothy smile.

"You're lucky I return your feelings," Shikamaru crooned smugly.

"Oh, please. I have my money on you realised them before I do," she razzed lightly, taking the bag containing the small plush toys he won for her when they had their trip to the onsen district. Temari squeezed his hands firmly a last time.

Shikamaru squeezed hers in return before letting go. "I'll have you know I am proud of that fact."

* * *

A/N: Some things I want to discuss!  
1\. This is how I perceived the beginning of the ShikaTema relationship. The awkward phase is basically nonexistent, as they have been really close friends with each other and have gone out on a lot friendly dates in the past years. I just didn't feel the need to make it more heart-stoppingly romantic because they aren't exactly the type. Haha! It's a weird headcanon, and I dunno if I actually made it work. So yeah, there is that.  
2\. Chakra phones - totally an invention of mine. The Naruto universe seems to mix traditional with modern tech most of the time, so the phone is like a manifestation of the two. They have this technology, but it runs on chakra instead of electricity and other electronic technicalities that I am very much _not_ knowledgeable about. lol  
3\. This chapter was supposed to be longer, but over 9000 words in one sitting? I figured it would be too much for you, my dear readers. Gratefully, I have found a nice place to stop.  
4\. I apologise if this piece seems so...patchy. I tried so hard to fill in the holes in between the portrayal of the novels, and I tried hard not to sound redundant even if I had to create my own, deeper interpretation of their conversation by the river.  
5\. That being said, the scene by the river is based on the anime (It wasn't mentioned in the novel), while the outcome of their onsen trip is based on the novel. This is because I really don't like SP's portrayal of Temari being so violent or having violent reactions. Her lady is rough around the edges and downright harsh when it comes to the battlefield, but SHE. ISN'T. VIOLENT. FOR. VIOLENCE'S. SAKE. I mean what kind of successful diplomat would even have such attitude?  
6\. Next chapter is going to take two or three weeks to be uploaded since it's high time I pay attention to the work documents I need to create. Rest assured that I'll be working hard on it once more, and that I'll let you know on my tumblr when I'm writing it again (I have over a thousand words in already so...). You can reach me at bitchlettearyamaryne on there, if that tickles your fancy.  
7\. And I know, I know. I squeezed in a bit of KakaMei in there at the last part but I hope you'll forgive me for indulging my rarepair-shipping heart! I love them almost as much as I love ShikaTema. Alas, we'll never get to see such potential. But that's about it for this pairing in this story; just a brief mention.  
8\. As always, please let me know of your thoughts! Or point out glaring grammatical/logic mistakes that I made. I'd appreciate them so much. Thank you for your continued support! x


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello! I know, I know. This update is so, so late. Work keeps me on my toes most days but I shall have more time to write fanfics after this month! I do realise that a fanfiction loses its charm when it is updated so rarely and its words reached a certain number. So to all those sticking by this piece from start till now, I thank you all from the bottom of my awkward little heart. I try so hard to include little details without dragging the story longer than it should be running and it's a bit of a struggle to accomplish. Nevertheless, I still am having fun writing this, so I hope that you still are enjoying reading my work. Thank you so much for all your support! You are all very kind!

onigiri-rice ball  
ojisan-Uncle

* * *

"This is unusual," he sleepily drawled into the phone, as he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes. "Phone call in the morning, that is. What's going on?"

For the past four nights, they have been religiously keeping to their plan of using chakra phones. They didn't always talk. Mostly, they just stayed on the line whilst they either did some leisure reading or pored over work documents that they had taken home for the evening.

Words were never crucial between them, as they knew how feeble and malleable they were. For a friendship like theirs that was built partly on shared sarcasm and dry retorts, the use of words was not as essential as actions or intents in their private communication methods.

No, they rarely used the phones to talk, since they had almost nothing to talk about anymore. They already knew both their stories so it was redundant if they were to talk about it once more. They were not at liberties to share sensitive information about their villages, so discussions of such kind were rather limited. They have already built ample understanding regarding each other's philosophies, values, and tendencies so there were scarce new things to discover about the other.

They rarely used the phones to talk, despite it being the primary purpose of the device. They used the phones to build their personal bubble, to bridge the three-day gap between them. Whenever they were in close proximity, they gravitated towards each other even if there were no conversations to be held. Simply being in the presence of each other was enough for them both.

Even if there were just scattered interjections or sprinkled curse words muttered all throughout the reserved time for their phone calls (save for the customary greetings and farewells), they would go to sleep content and pleased.

The phone calls were successful tools to recreate the usual scenario they have when they were physically together: in respectable and respectful silence while they let their minds worked, with each other being at arm's length for the purpose of any of which: emotional shock blanket, logic checking, or comic relief.

It may be weird, and it definitely was out of the ordinary. But heck, it was _theirs_.

"It's almost 11 in the morning. Why on Kami's sake are you still in bed?"

Shikamaru buried himself beneath his blanket and sighed. "It's my day off. I fed the deer this morning then I went home to nap. What's up?"

"The council is driving me to the walls, Shikamaru. They put me in charge of mission rosters for the next month and when I proposed a plan of action, they were being the prudes that they were saying that it's going to disrupt the normal cycle of the workforce if we would implement it. Baki was the only one who supported me!" she complained.

His brow raised and Shikamaru sighed. "Gonna need a more elaborate explanation, Hime."

Temari groaned into the phone. "I told you not to call me that. Anyways, we're still feeling the loss of manpower after the recent war so the council split the active shinobi into two batches. One batch will carry out missions for one whole week, while the other rests, and the cycle repeats."

"Does your council have a death wish upon your ninja or something?"

"That's what I thought! I devised a plan based on the concept of rotation and quota hours but they said it was too elaborate. If we keep going this way, we'll even have more ninja out of commission!"

"Try digging into emergency laws and protocols on state of crisis, Hime. I think you're going to need the literature to back you up."

There was long pause on the other line before Temari spoke once more. "Dang it, Nara. Your brain knows no bounds. I'm thankful."

"Glad to be of service, Hime. I'll talk to you tonight?" he asked, almost feeling how pumped up she was at the prospect of going through Suna's laws.

"Yes, yes. And don't call me that!"

* * *

"Oy! Shikamaru!"

The Nara clan head sped up his walking as soon as he heard the sing-song voice call out to him. It wasn't that he was deliberately trying to avoid the owner of the voice, but it was troublesome to be in a conversation with Ino nowadays since it always ended with a threat about treating Temari right.

(And how else would he treat Temari?)

When he knew he couldn't escape her pursuit anymore, the jounin stopped in his tracks and puffed a breath out before turning towards his co-Ino-Shika-Cho member. "Ino…Sorry but—"

"Oh no you don't, Nara. I've been wanting to check on you for days, and I can't seem to get a hold of you in the tower."

"We're doing well. I'm not treating Temari badly, and I make sure to compliment her every time we talk," he reported before poising to turn on his heel.

The iryu-nin laced her fingers and did a quick brainwalk on her friend. Ino's pale blue eyes rolled and she sighed. "How on Earth could you not make your confession special, Shikamaru? Really, you're hopeless. Girls would like a little bit more display you know. Saying 'I love you' like that was so plain! You should have waited for the right moment!"

Shikamaru clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Well, Temari isn't like most girls and I'm sure she found no issue with how and when I confessed. What matters most is that she reciprocates my feelings. Besides, we've all just been through a war. There's no perfect moment. There's just now or never."

"Still, it would have been a little more beautiful if you sounded more poetic," Ino lamented with a shake of her head.

"And risk her laughing at my poor attempts at poetry? No way. Besides, with a personality as blunt as hers, there's nothing that she finds more beautiful than the truth…and nothing but the plain, old truth."

Crossing her arms, Ino could find no retort to Shikamaru's claim. "Well, that may be so, but it wouldn't hurt to go the extra mile to make her feel special."

"I'll keep that in mind the next time, all right?"

Shikamaru almost whooped for joy when Ino merely nodded and walked away. He was glad to have manoeuvred such exchange without snapping or losing his patience. True, his friend might have the best intentions, but he really doesn't enjoy being confronted about personal things such as these.

Unbeknownst to him, however, a similar scenario was happening three days away, in the land of harsh winds and endless stretches of sand-filled land. This confrontation, however, was not about the romantic aspects of their newfound relationship.

* * *

"Temari-sama, may I have a word with you?"

The ambassadress could only nod as her former teacher opened an empty guest bedroom and casted a noise-cancelling jutsu so they could have their privacy. Temari already had an inkling on what is it about.

The jounin-sensei-turned-Suna-councillor was anything but beating around the bush, which the Wind mistress extremely admired. "I take it that you have at least considered the political implications of your relationship with the Shinobi Union's Chief Organiser, Nara Shikamaru-dono?"

"I have," she nodded.

"And might I inquire regarding his perspective about this whole situation?"

Her lips hardened and her pulse picked up its pace. "My apologies, but we have only decided to be exclusive the last time we met. We haven't discussed anything of the sort yet."

Baki raised a hand carefully. "I don't mean to politicise your personal life, Temari-sama, but I'd rather you be prepared if the council decides to do something drastic. So far, there have only been talks of finding your youngest brother a wife, and your name hasn't come up in the discussions yet. I can't promise it won't get dirty or ugly when the time comes. Nara-dono needs to realise that this isn't the diplomatic Konoha that he is used to. If your relationship with him isn't going to survive the council's judgment nor fit into the future of Sunagakure, then—"

"Of course, Baki. I'll be sure to clear things up with Shikamaru," she said, clipped, before dispelling the jutsu and leaving her former sensei inside the room. Instead of going to the archives, she retreated back to her room after sending a Kazekage tower worker to fetch the needed documents for her research.

It seemed that this relationship of theirs was starting to become a little _troublesome_ given their respective responsibilities in their own villages. She had long recognised that, and now she wondered if Shikamaru had as well. Temari did say that she didn't want to drag him into Suna's politics, but it appears that it was an inevitable course to take in their relationship.

She needed to know if Shikamaru were in this for the long haul. If he's not, it's better to extinguish the fire early than let the flame enkindle their mutual sentiments. The thought of ending things with Shikamaru immediately gripped her chest and she found herself unable to breathe for a few seconds.

As soon as she regained her composure, Temari took little time to decide which action to take. She was going to confront Shikamaru about their relationship and their future, and she was going to swallow whatever words he would throw at her. Somehow, she expected that the words _troublesome, a drag,_ and _problematic_ would come up in his response. After all, Shikamaru wouldn't ever willingly plunge himself in a situation that would require him to exert great efforts. Then again, she isn't just a notch in his belt; he will fight for them alongside her. _Right?_

Temari couldn't be more frustrated when she couldn't give an answer to her own question. They may be on the same page regarding their relationship now, but who's to say that they still will be in agreement regarding the future? Besides, he seemed avoidant of the topic when she first brought it up.

The ambassadress was ripped out of her musings at the knock and voice of the worker she had sent. Deciding in taking the matter head on the next time they were together, she took comfort in the fact that she was going to travel to Konoha soon anyways.

* * *

Kakashi poured Gaara tea and gently slid it over towards the young Kazekage. "I take it that Sunagakure's recovery is steadily going well like the last time we talked, Gaara-kun?"

The red-haired former jinchuuriki nodded and took the proffered cup with a hum of gratitude. "Hai, Kakashi-san. Our shinobi is stretched to cover all the bases and fulfil the missions sent to us, but I suppose you can say that we have that collective understanding that we needed ourselves to heal our own land."

"That's very great to hear. Suna and Konoha have forged a friendship in the last decade or so following your batch's Chuunin exams. While it goes without saying, I would still like to reiterate that your friends, the Leaf, are always here for you when needed," the Rokudaime Hokage said with an eye-smile.

"My gratitude goes deep, Kakashi-san," Gaara replied softly, letting out a small sigh.

The Copy Ninja eyed the younger Kage. "You seem troubled, though."

Gaara went back and forth in his mind before deciding to speak, realising that an outside opinion (especially from someone like Kakashi, who was known for his wisdom), may be helpful. "Well, there has been an influx of suitors for my Aneue, and they are appealing directly to me through letters of request for her hand. However, it is not mine to give, especially since she seemed to already have started a relationship with Shikamaru-san. I only worry that my council will find out about the situation before I can think of a way to turn them all down."

Kakashi steepled his fingers together under his chin. "Does Temari-dono know about this?"

"No, but it seems that I am out of options now," Gaara lamented. "However, I hope to rest the matter for now since we are merely a day away from Naruto's wedding. I should hope to resolve the situation the minute I get back to the village."

The silver-haired Hokage nodded and hummed. "Might be best to consult your sister about this, come clean if you will, as this very much concerns her."

"Yes, I now believe it is wise. I had hoped—well, my Aniue and I hoped—that we could solve this one by ourselves, as a gift to Temari. She had been working so hard to uphold and uplift the village while being a remarkable sister to us. She never falls short on any of her duties. Kankuro and I just want her happy."

"I understand completely, Gaara-kun," Kakashi eye-smiled once more. "Your intentions are nothing short of noble, but you need to tap into your resources more. Again, if there is anything I could do to help, I will be willing to aid you."

* * *

 _Influx of suitors. Influx of suitors. Influx of suitors._ The phrase butchered his mind into a standstill and as a reaction, his senses drowned out his environment around him. Shikamaru didn't stay long to eavesdrop after Gaara's revelation, feeling suffocated and drowned at the same time.

He was making his way to stand beside Kakashi as he welcomed the dignitaries for Naruto's wedding, but his emotions overpowered him so he merely turned on his heel. The Nara clan head ran and exited the building, sprinting up the Hokage stone faces and going over the North village wall to seclude himself in the forest.

His reaction was a stark difference from when he shut himself down after Asuma and his father died. He could see an end to the grief that he felt during their absence, no matter how hazy it was back then. This new anguish, however, was something that was beyond the worst of his expectations. It was like waking up from an endless nightmare, only to realise that the reality was much, much worse.

Eventually, his knees buckled and he dropped to the forest ground, the physical and mental exhaustions rendering his muscles too rigid to move. It took several moments before he realised that he was staring at the ground before him, his hands buried beneath the Earth. If it weren't for an ant biting his skin, he wouldn't have come to his senses.

Shikamaru clenched his eyes shut and shook his head, picking himself up from the ground. He took a deep breath and sought the shade of a nearby tree, lying himself down underneath its canopy and watching the clouds rolling by in the atmosphere. "I'm such a fucking coward."

If his first reaction to a problem concerning his life was running away like he did earlier, then he really must be one. The Nara clan head let out a long sigh before he let himself groan at the dilemma before him. Distantly, he thinks why on Earth people had touted him as a genius when his brain malfunctions whenever he experiences a roadblock in his personal life. Honestly, it was ridiculous of him.

The jounin lay in self-pity while his downtrodden eyes faithfully watched the drifting clouds. Every so often, his mind would bring up the situation but he would go against resolving it. Finally, he got tired of the mental volleying and settled on seeking sleep. Maybe when he awoke, he would feel energised enough to devise a plan to undertake the suitor conundrum.

"Shikamaru?" a familiar voice disturbed his oncoming slumber. The man in question sighed and sat up, looking towards the direction of the speaker. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same to you, Chouji," he said lazily, folding a leg towards his chest and laying his elbow on it.

"I'm helping Ino gather herbs for a new medicine she is creating. She promised me that she would make me one of her delicious food pills again if I did," the Akimichi heir nodded. "How about you? Aren't you supposed to be with Kakashi-sensei welcoming the VIP guests for Naruto's wedding?"

"Didn't feel like doing it," he mumbled.

Chouji sat across his oldest friend and set the basket of herbs down beside him. "That is unlike you to not serve your duties, Shikamaru."

The Nara jounin shrugged and averted his gaze. "I'm feeling emotionally compromised, and thus, unable to perform the task. Kakashi-sensei would understand."

The look of concern flashed Chouji's face and lingered. "Did you and Temari have a fight? She arrived with her brothers today, didn't she?"

"No, nothing like that," he said before growing silent in contemplation, thinking whether it was wise to share with Chouji the bit of information that he pilfered. Eventually, he reasoned that it always helped talking to Chouji about serious things. He might not be the brightest mind there is, but he does have a kind heart that comforts people. "There's a sort of political issue involving Temari that could eventually cause our relationship to fail."

The burly young man cocked his head to the side and frowned. "So?"

" _So_? Didn't you hear me, Chouji?"

"Heard you loud and clear, Shikamaru," he replied. "It's also unlike you to sit in hopelessness, as if you wouldn't find a way to get a grip of the situation."

Shikamaru shook his head. "All those things before, they're probably just a stroke of good luck. A rush of adrenaline. In the end, I'm just really a coward."

"Oh, don't be that way."

"But it is true. When I heard about it, I gave into the impulse of running away, probably so I can will it to disappear."

"So you'll let Temari disappear from your life, too?" the Akimichi countered, to which the Nara had no answer for. "The way I see it, you seem to be scared of messing things up, and it's normal. That doesn't make you a coward, though."

"What the hell do I do, then?" he questioned irately.

Chouji stood and picked up the basket of herbs he gathered for Ino. "That's your decision; it's either fight for one of the best things that will happen to your life or just let it slip away. There's no in between."

"And what if everything goes wrong?" Shikamaru challenged his dear friend.

"Well, what if everything goes right?"

Chouji's retort promptly shut his mouth and mind up, and before he knew it, he was once more alone in the forest. The Nara clan head wiped the bead of sweat forming on his forehead and then forced himself to stand from the forest floor. The conversation he had with his mother came to the forefront of his mind, efficiently wiping away the browbeaten look on his face.

It's all or nothing. If he were to go down, then he would be going down fighting. Temari was too valuable a person to not fight for. She may be the most troublesome woman that he had ever met (and it was such a long list, too!), but he will straight up be useless without her. After all, she is essential to his being; there is no doubt about it.

Shikamaru leapt up to a tree and sprinted towards the Nara clan estate. He needed his Rihachi-ojisan to escort him to the family vault to retrieve a certain ring.

* * *

A leisurely stroll by the entrance of the Nara forest was in order once they had finished the sumptuous dinner that his mother had made for them. How Yoshino had managed to convince Temari to stay for a few days more (while letting her brothers return to Suna before her) was beyond Shikamaru, but he was happy for it.

Establishing a relationship while working around a three-day distance was thrice the hard work, but it was the one thing he wasn't troubled by. After all, if said relationship was one with a certain blonde Suna princess, then he'll take every chance he could get to spend time with her while their distance was convenient.

Their sauntering was accompanied by a silence that they both treasure, along with the gentle zephyr that tickled the summer atmosphere every so often. Suddenly, her eyes widened in wonder as one of their stag went near the forest gates, and it was a look that Shikamaru found very adorable to see.

"Can…can I touch him?" she whispered, not wishing to startle the magnanimous animal. Her hand was raised to her chest, fingers curled, torn between reaching to feel the illustrious fur and keeping her conservativeness.

Shikamaru smiled endearingly. "Normally, Nara deer wouldn't show themselves to outsiders unless they were enemy, but it seems to sense that you aren't one since they are all relaxed right now. Relaxed, yet curious."

"They?"

"Ah, the rest are hiding behind the bushes, merely waiting to see what will happen next."

"This one's a bold one then," the blonde remarked.

The Nara clan head reached his hand out to gently stroke the stag's head. "This one is Rikumaru. He was born on the same day I turned 13. You can touch him. He's generally more relaxed than the others."

"Sounds like someone I know," she smirked, letting her hand stroke the gentle fur of the animal. Temari let out a giggle when Rikumaru nuzzled then licked her cheek. "You're a beautiful creature, aren't you?"

Shikamaru let his girlfriend acquaint herself with their animal charge before he cut the exchange when the rest of the deer were beginning to retract from the forest entrance. "That's enough chitchat, you two. Go to your bedding area now, Rikumaru. You can say hello to Temari on another time."

The comfortable silence gradually reigned over them once more as they continued their evening walk. With fingers intertwined, they were already happy to merely be in the presence of each other after more than a week apart. The distance of their villages made proximity all the more special, it seemed.

Still, Temari couldn't shake off what she had been thinking about ever since she was confronted by Baki. While she realised that their relationship was far too young to start talking about the future, she also gets the logic that it was healthier to end (and her stomach revolted every single time she entertained this thought) their relations now if it had no foreseeable, viable future.

"Shikamaru, may we talk?" she asked softly, almost nervous to start the conversation.

"Sure; what about?" he asked coolly, though his chest had started to hammer underneath his shirt. Her tone seemed serious, and if it were about the topic he dreaded to face, then he knew he needed to bare his soul before she could get anything out.

Temari's other hand fisted and she took a breath to quell the upturning of her stomach. "I know I said that I didn't want to drag you into the politics of Suna, and that we agreed to talk about it when the time comes. I think it's time to cross that bridge, though. I don't wish for either of us to be caught vulnerable should a more complicated issue arise. It's best we're prepared."

"Well, if you put it that way, I do suppose we need to address the implications of our relationship. I would like to make it clear that: right now, I want this. I want us, Temari. If it's all right with you, I want us."

"Shikamaru, I—"

"Tell me later. I just—" He cut himself off, not really sure what he wanted to say to convince her to speak first. Shikamaru let his eyes implore her.

Temari bit her lip at the desperation that was present on his face. With a breath, she nodded, and watched as the male jounin gathered himself and breathed in deeply. _Whatever could be so important that he just couldn't wait to say it?_

"It seemed that no matter what comes in my life, you somehow end up being in it too; and whatever happens in yours, I kinda end up following where you go. I don't want to rely on the universe or whatever higher being is there that makes it work that way. If you let me, I want to be a permanent fixture in your life; and I hope you give a chance to be a constant in mine as well," he said softly, a tremble coating the last few words of his short monologue.

Temari looked to the side as she repeated his words inside her head. "It's a difficult and complex thing you are asking from yourself and me," she said in an impulse, ever the realist, as she remembered Baki's words. The alliance between their villages could either stand in their way or pave the way towards the reality he wanted— _they_ both wanted.

"I can't rely on serendipity forever, Temari," he said, voice a little firmer now. "This is something I know I need and want to take into my own hands."

Finally, she looked up at him. "But what about your dream? The Infinite Tsukuyomi—"

"The Infinite Tsukuyomi let me see what I desired, true. Desires can be distorted. And desires are not always representative of reality," he hummed. "I know now that mine was a desire which may not entirely be distorted but it is one that I do _not_ wish to become a reality."

Shikamaru debated whether to take her hand or not in order to drive the point home but he didn't want to take the chance. He didn't wish to drive her away, lest he seemed too demanding. But every second that the moment dragged on, he was steeling himself from the possible fall and break. Her answer could go either way.

She saw the fierce determination in his eyes that she has only saw in the battlefield during the war. The ball in her throat was getting more difficult to swallow and she feels her eyes watering even though she couldn't point out why. Temari didn't know what she was feeling at the moment. She had expected him to give up, since he almost always found almost everything too troublesome to deal with. This wasn't the outcome she had envisioned.

"Please," he whispered before he took a step back and bent forward, bowing deeply. Shikamaru has laid all his cards before her now and whatever happens, he knows he wouldn't regret telling her how much he felt for her.

The gravity of his plea just struck him like a kunai aimed perfectly into her chest. There was so much going on in her head that it was making her vision blur. Her eyes watered and she clenched them shut before she asked him to stand and then she threw herself to him, daring to wrap her arms around his form. She had never felt so happy, and she had an inkling that this was only the beginning of bliss.

Yes, this wasn't the outcome she had envisioned, but she was ultimately gleeful that this is what was happening right now. Her arms wound tighter around him, and she buried her face into his shirt, uncaring if she was making it feel uncomfortable by wetting it with her euphoric tears.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru frowned and felt his whole demeanour drop at her actions. She looked extremely devastated before she threw herself at him and somehow, he thought that she was giving him one last embrace before breaking it to him gently. _Was that the important thing she was going to tell him earlier? Maybe she has already been arranged to marry someone else._

Although he knew he shouldn't, he wrapped an arm around her waist to bring her closer to him. In this moment, she was his. Even if he would have to give her up in the next few minutes, he would reward himself with this moment when he could hold her close and breathe the air that she breathed.

Suddenly, she pulled away and there was a twinkle in her eye and a chuckle upon her lips. The sight broke his being several times more because she looked so goddamn _free_. Rejecting his proposal must have eased her worries in pushing through with the arranged marriage, it seemed.

As soon as she saw the storm clouding his eyes, Temari took a step back and frowned. _Why wasn't he happy about this? Didn't I just accept his proposal? Damn fool should be prancing like the deer he takes care of!_

And then she replayed the scene quickly inside her head. It took no time for Temari to realise her mistake. "Shit," she cussed under her breath. "No, wait—Shikamaru, I mean, I don't—"

"It's fine, Temari. I completely understand."

Her face soured as her _supposed_ fiancé continued looking down to the ground. "No, you don't completely understand, you idiot genius."

"Really, it's okay. I wish you well."

 _I wish you well? That was some ridiculous paradox coming from his mouth_. Temari couldn't hold back the laughter at yet again another irony that the gods seemed to have concocted for her. The wind blew breezily in that hot, summer night, making both shinobi shiver.

"You seem happy," he couldn't help but notice morosely.

Temari took a breath and stepped forward once more. She clutched the end of his sleeve and looked up at him, hoping that her eyes were enough to display all that she felt for him. "Of course. My best friend just proposed to me. You'd bet I'm ridiculously happy."

The gears in his mind seemed to struggle with their task before the realisation finally struck him, quick and sharp like lightning. "Oh."

"I'm sorry that I didn't make it clear that I agreed," she apologised, abashed.

Shikamaru shook his head and took her hand idly. "No, it's all right. Your crying threw me off. I meant when you cry you look…you look—"

The kunoichi narrowed her eyes at the man she was to marry and silently dared him to continue.

"Sad!" he suddenly blurted out. "I-I mean, well some people cry in happiness but they look happy, but you just cried like you had to throw your Tessen off a cliff and never see it again."

"Shikamaru, don't ruin the mood," the ambassadress groaned, before her voice grew softer. "Are you okay now?"

"Never better, Hime," he grinned lopsidedly.

"Don't call me that; I'm not a princess," she grumbled. "What made you think I was saying no, by the way? It seemed like you anticipated that answer more than my yes."

Shikamaru looked away from her and pursed his lips. "I thought you were already arranged to marry someone else."

The revelation stunned the newly betrothed kunoichi and her brows knotted in confusion. "What even gave you that idea?"

"I overheard Gaara talking to Kakashi-sensei about the influx of suitors in Suna wanting to be wed to you."

" _What_?"

"What?"

She held up a hand and she suddenly felt like her knees were struggling to keep her upright. The ambassadress circled her fiancé and plopped herself down on the stone bench behind Shikamaru. "I can't believe this."

Shikamaru turned on his heel and squatted down his fiancée, placing his hands on her knees. "I—so you mean to say, you have zero idea that this was going on?" he asked, and got a nod in return. "Well, shit. What do we do?"

"I need to go home—"

"I'll come with you."

"You have a clan meeting tomorrow, Shikamaru."

"I can postpone it."

"Don't. Just…just let me sort through this on my own first. I'll confront my brothers and when I've cleared things up, I'll let you know, and you can come to Suna.

"If the council knows, your presence might only complicate things. Let me and my brothers handle this for the moment first, all right? I promise I will let you in on things and devise a plan so it wouldn't seem like we're opposing the council head on…if the council knows," she finished, suddenly out of breath.

"All right. All right, just…Let's just retire for the night, and you can head back to Suna first thing in the morning tomorrow. Will you be sleeping in my room or do I need to ready the other tatami room?" he asked.

"I'm fine sharing space just don't do anything questionable," Temari warned, her eyes narrowing.

Shikamaru smirked. "I meant I'll sleep on the futon on the floor, and you can take my bed."

"Oh."

* * *

It took him several minutes before he fully opened his eyes to wake the next morning. Shikamaru could already hear the sound of his shower running, and he sighed, knowing exactly what it meant. While he was extremely elated following the events of the previous night (honestly, it took him more than two hours before he fell asleep), the Nara clan head knew that her departure was imminent, given the situation they needed to resolve before they could push forward.

With quick and trained hands, he fixed his hair, having gone to sleep without untying it. While she was his fiancée—and _damn_ , did that feel great to think about—she still wasn't a Nara, technically. Nara men were forbidden to be seen by people outside relatives with their hair down. (It was something about respecting and embodying the animals they care for; he'll clear that up once he got into the archives once more.) Even though this was Temari, still, his mother had ways of knowing and she wouldn't exactly be thrilled if he were to disobey a clan tenet.

The sight that greeted Shikamaru downstairs was one that he certainly wasn't expecting. He and his late father had been not-so early risers so seeing Yoshino busying herself in the kitchen, crafting an elaborate breakfast, was a sight that gave him a pause. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to stop her from doing so anyways, he merely turned and popped himself inside the downstairs bathroom to get ready for the day.

When the water started to awaken him further, his face felt foreign as another smile threatened to split his face. His mind kept on replaying the events of last night, barring the details that were not too relevant at the moment. The rush of oxytocin made his brain incapable of remembering that he had mistaken her silence as a refusal or remembering that they still needed to address the arranged marriage issue.

Only two words dominated his thought process whilst he was showering: Temari and marriage. Those two short-syllable words were enough to send his mind into a daydream fuelled by impenitent enthusiasm about the future. It was the first time he felt that way, and he certainly never knew that it could be one of the most satisfying moods his persona could ever create. In a short span of personal time, he had nary a care whether the people outside the bathroom could hear him _humming_.

The carefree grin had remained on his face all the while that he was dressing up. Heck, he even let himself be a little playful when he dried his hair with the fan, swinging his head according to the beat that was ringing in his ears. The shinobi took a good stare at himself in the mirror and nodded, deciding that it was a look that was foreign on his face, yet most definitely a welcome one. Giving one last puff of exuberance, he exited the bathroom.

* * *

The blonde nearly stumbled over her own feet as she stopped herself from going further into the kitchen when she realised that the one occupying it wasn't her fiancé. A surge of warmth burst in her chest as Shikamaru's face popped in her thoughts, his face his usual look with the slightest of smirks upon his lips.

"Ah, Temari. Ohayou gozaimasu," Yoshino greeted with a warm smile before turning on her heel to fix the onigiri set that she had prepared.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Yoshino. My apologies, I thought you were Shikamaru," the Wind user hummed, hoping that the older woman wouldn't spot the blush on her cheeks.

Shikamaru's mother offered her a kind smile and a shake of the head. "It's fine, dear. Come, sit down. No need to tire yourself by standing there. You have a long journey ahead of you, after all."

"Oh, that's not necessary. I need to get going—"

"Nonsense," Yoshino retorted gently, beckoning her to come inside the dining area. "I know you would refuse eating breakfast here especially if you are homebound. I'm just sealing the food I made so that you wouldn't have to bother stopping to get food along the way. I'm sure you would prefer home-cooked meals over restaurant dishes once in a while."

Her teal eyes rounded and she felt extremely embarrassed to turn down Yoshino's offer, especially since the elder Nara seemed to have prepared the meals down to the last grain of rice. Stunned, Temari merely sat in silence, watching as Yoshino worked in her kitchen. Melancholy and nostalgia washed over her as she suddenly remembered her own mother, ever-doting and thoughtful.

Two sealing scrolls were placed gingerly in front of her and her glassy teal eyes looked up at the older woman. For a few moments, she could only stare up at Shikamaru's mother. Her senses finally kicked in and she bowed her head. "Doumo arigatou gozaimasu, Yoshino. You really shouldn't have bothered."

"Kaa-san."

"I'm sorry?" she interjected, head snapping upwards almost reflexively.

"I am expecting a wedding soon, correct?" Yoshino queried, the smirk on her lips much more roguish that Shikamaru could ever make his to be.

The blush from earlier had deepened into a shade akin to aged red wine, and Temari couldn't even stop her lips from stretching into an unapologetic grin. Her teal eyes disappeared behind their lids as her bliss painted vividly on her face. The Suna princess clutched the sealing scrolls in her hands and nodded vigorously. "Hai."

The Nara elder let out a chuckle and gently laid each of her hand upon Temari's fists. "Then I expect to be called nothing less. You have my full support and blessing."

"You'd say that even if you weren't anticipating any wedding," Shikamaru drawled, followed by a yawn and a quick roll of his eyes. "Heck, you didn't even have to ask, given what you did, Kaa-san."

Temari looked between her fiancé and her future mother-in-law several times, trying to make sense of the slightly cryptic statements that Shikamaru had made. Realising that the sun was just beginning to rise and that it was too early to wind her brain up like a normal Nara would, the Suna princess gave up. "I'm sensing I am missing something."

Before Shikamaru could even open his mouth, his mother beat him to the explanation. The male jounin let her regale Temari of her sneaky manoeuvre during his inauguration as the clan head, and the male Nara immediately began to regret his decision to do so. Yoshino only very fondly recounted the tale, slipping in a chuckle or two here and there. There were no traces of remorse or even embarrassment in his mother; there was only an aura of pride surrounding her as she was able to execute such deviousness.

Furthermore, he could only watch as Temari's pale skin began to colour into a pink tinge. His eyes stayed on his fiancée, gauging her reaction. Temari was almost as still as a metal rod for a few moments before the blonde took a deep breath and let it out in one, long exhale. Her shoulders bunched up and relaxed, as her head shook slightly. "Ah, well. I've had my suspicions…or rather, my biting curiosities…as I was the only outsider present in the ceremony. Then again, I guess it's all water under the bridge now."

"I knew you would see it that way, my dear," Yoshino said endearingly as she grinned and clapped her hands together. The older woman rounded the table and stepped towards her future daughter-in-law, placing her hands on her strong shoulders. "You and I…we really are on the same wavelength, aren't we? I can't wait for you and I to spend some more time together. After all, I would want to get to know more about my daughter."

 _Daughter_. The word rang in her mind like a distant chime before its sound grew closer and more potent, until it was something that could not be ignored. The Nara kitchen swirled into a haze, as if it just drifted and dissolved into the atmosphere. It was like she was out of her own body and witnessing the situation unfold from an outsider point of view. After a few moments, her eyes shifted upwards to meet Yoshino's.

As soon as the two women's lines of sight met, Shikamaru felt like a mere interloper in the scenario. True, it was his own mother and his own fiancée conversing, but it seemed like a moment that was only between the two women in his life and no one else. Wordlessly and stealthily, he removed himself from the setting and opted to give them the privacy that the situation warranted.

Teal eyes held the gaze of darkened orbs. They were round and wide with innocence akin to that of a child, as if seeking validation and recognition. Teal eyes were easily met with an expression made affectionate by the warmth of acceptance and tender eagerness. The smirk had long been evaporated from Yoshino's face, and her lips shaped to that of a smile that was gentle—a smile that could only be worn by a woman who has known unconditional love, a mother.

After what seemed like an eternity, Temari had gotten over her little shock and her mind was catapulted into a state of slight concern. Now that the labelling has been dropped, she now worried whether she could fill the shoes of _daughter_ after ceasing to be one after her mother died when she was little. The kunoichi could barely remember what it was like to be one, and she had nil an idea on how to be a decent one now that she has grown up. Being a child was easier more ways than one, after all.

The older woman could almost feel the conflict materialise in Temari's eyes so she sought to nip her worry in the bud. Her hand lifted from its perch on her shoulder and went on to pat her cheek softly. "I just need you to take great care of yourself now. Everything else can wait."

She didn't expect the assurance, but Temari took great heaps of it to calm her nerves. The Wind user didn't foresee how much of an impact such simple string of words could make. Temari read the last sentence in her mind over and over again. She felt a dull warmth tickle her chest at the relief of Yoshino not really expecting anything from her at the moment save for taking care of herself.

Truthfully speaking, with everything that would happen in the near future with regards to hers and Shikamaru's impending union, the last thing she needed was another task to perfect. It wasn't that she greatly minded fulfilling the role of daughter-in-law. In fact, it was the opposite; Temari found herself longing to fit into the function so much that she knew she was going to strive to outdo herself.

However, it would be counterproductive if she couldn't or wouldn't find a way to win over the council's favour for her to wed Shikamaru.

"Thank you, Yo—Kaa-san," she whispered solemnly, a soft blush painting her cheeks as she heard herself say the words she hadn't said out loud in almost two decades now.

* * *

"You're awfully quiet," he noted. They were walking through the path that leads to the shortest way to Suna. Shikamaru had deciced to accompany her at most until the border of Konoha and the next village. The quiet solitude was peaceful until he felt Temari's loud silence. He squeezed her hand gently when she looked up at him, feeling the intricate carvings of the Nara matriarch ring around her finger. "Normally, I don't mind but it seems like you're going on over something in your head."

"Oh."

"Are you nervous?"

The blonde shook her head and sighed. "It's not that at all. I just am not looking forward to the conversation I will have with my brothers."

"Won't it clear the questions off your head, though?"

Temari chewed on her lip and stopped walking, making her fiancé cease his ambulation as well. She clenched her free fist then stretched it once more. "I just don't know why they would keep something like this from me. If anything, I feel slightly betrayed."

"That's a strong word to use regarding your brothers, Hime," he hummed, stepping closer and tugging her towards him. Shikamaru parted her fringe and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Whatever the situation may be, remember that they have a reason for keeping this from you. Let's lay off the scary big sister identity, okay?"

The small glare in her eyes and the little pout on her lips made him chuckle heartily.

"What are you looking at me like that for? I'm just saying that— _gah_!" The Nara clan head retracted an arm from his fiancée and rubbed the sore spot on his stomach that she pinched. "Mendokusai na, Hime."

"You're the one who's troublesome," she grumbled. "This is a serious situation, Shikamaru."

"I know, Hime. I know. I'm just trying to lighten up your mood," he smiled cheekily. "Wouldn't want you to stir up a hurricane in the desert after all."

Her jaw slackened as she released a frustrated huff and her eyes rolled. "You're not going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Not in this lifetime, and not in our next lifetimes, either," the shadow jounin smirked.

" _Next lifetimes_?" she queried, unable to contain her surprise.

Shikamaru's roguish face dropped its expression, an abashed look replacing it, as soon as he realised what he said. A hand instinctively went to the base of his head, scratching his thick hair there. "Y-Yeah…I'll most likely be getting my assed dragged by you in my next lifetimes as well, so what?"

She gave her fiancé a bright grin, something that seemed to be a staple now whenever she was with him.

"Nice to know you think that way," Temari said gently, squeezing his hand. "But…one lifecycle at a time, all right?"

"Yes, yes. Anything in excess will be too troublesome. You know, you never told me what you were planning to tell me last night."

Temari merely shrugged. "I was going to ask about the plans you have for our relationship. Then, like always, you showed it to me instead of telling me."

The Wind mistress savoured the closeness and the sharing of their space, wanting to take so much of it and keep it intact in her memory until they met once more. It was the element that she found most difficult to give up at the moment, now that she was going back to her current responsibilities.

Unable to help it, she stepped forward and diminished the space between them, going boldly as to wrap her arms around his form. Temari buried her face into his flak jacket, the thick material comforting and annoying at the same time since it obscured the sound of his heartbeat. A soft breath escaped past her lips when he felt his own strong arms circle her.

They indulged themselves for a long while before she pulled away, albeit reluctantly. The earlier she gets to Suna, the earlier everything will be resolved. Silently, she accepted the small bag containing the sealing scrolls that harboured her clothes, and the food that Yoshino had prepared. With a certain heaviness in her chest, she turned on her heel to face the homeward path after she nuzzled against his face a last time.

"Have a safe journey home," he bade her softly, the lonesome and his struggle to conceal it were evident in his voice.

"You, too."

Shikamaru's lids hooded over his eyes as she watched her retreating back. His hands shoved inside his pant pockets and he sighed to himself. The jounin redirected himself towards his own village, his footsteps heavy against the earthy ground. He spared one last glance over his shoulder before continuing his footsteps.

 _One day, for sure, I'll be welcoming her home instead of sending her home._


End file.
